Daniel Farke must use fantastic Leeds weapon vs Liverpool as remarkable defensive stat emerges
Leeds have been fantastic at attacking set-pieces this season.
Leeds had a productive summer transfer window, bringing in 10 new players to give them the best chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
Jaka Bijol joined Leeds for £17million, and after taking some time to adjust, he has become a nailed-on starter at the heart of the defence.
Daniel Farke’s excellent 3-5-2 tactic has Bijol starting alongside Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, and although Rodon is injured for the Liverpool game, all three players have been key to Leeds’ five-match unbeaten run.
Leeds face Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday, and attacking set-pieces could represent the best chance they have of securing an unlikely win.
Liverpool the joint-worst in Europe’s top five leagues for conceding set-piece goals
Bijol scored his first goal for the Whites in the 3-1 win over Chelsea on 3 December, and has been a relentless threat in the opposition box.
In the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at Elland Road, he has a handful once again, with Leeds scoring all four of their goals from set-pieces.
In even better news for Leeds fans, Liverpool have conceded the joint-most non-penalty goals from set-pieces (18) in Europe’s top five leagues.
Leeds have scored 12 goals from non-penalty set-pieces, the most of any team in the Premier League.
Anton Stach has proved his excellence from free-kicks, but it’s thrown-ins and corners that have caused teams problems, and it’s been a catalyst for their impressive form.
Ao Tanaka scored a brilliant last-minute equaliser from a corner against Liverpool on 6 December, and only time will tell if the reigning champions have learned their lesson.
If the Whites can continue to be productive from dead-ball situations, then they should achieve Premier League safety with relative ease.
What Daniel Farke has said on Leeds’ set-piece success
Set-piece coach Edmund Riemer must be one of the most popular men in West Yorkshire at the moment, and Farke has always been focused on how to maximise Leeds’ efficiency from these opportunities.
On 27 December, he said: “My belief in set-pieces was always there, and for me it’s always a very important topic.
“You can only win trophies once you’re capable of scoring from set pieces because even in a tournament like the World Cup or the Champions League, there’s sometimes a game when you will struggle to score an important goal in open play.
“Me and my coaching staff have always spent lots of attention on it and lots of time on it, and my teams, even in Germany, normally are, if not the best, then one of the best set-piece teams in the league.
“Even last season, there were several games where set-pieces were crucial, and we have always spent lots of time on it – how to defend them but also how to attack.”
Liverpool should certainly be wary of Leeds’ threat on Thursday.
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