View: Wolves flaw underlined last week as Leeds United clash now comes into focus

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Mario Lemina has called upon Wolves’ players to be better in possession against Leeds United.

The game against the Whites is a huge one for his side, with Wolves sat in 13th on 27 points, just four points above their visitors at Molineux.

Five points separate nine teams at the bottom end of the Premier League table currently, and games against sides around each other could be the most key in securing safety.

Leeds have played Wolves twice already this season. They claimed an opening day 2-1 win back in August under Jesse Marsch, before crashing out of the EFL Cup with a 1-0 defeat in November.

What is being said about Wolves ahead of Leeds’ visit?

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 09: Goncalo Guedes of Wolverhampton Wanderers breaks away from Darko Gyabi during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United at Molineux on November 09, 2022 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lemina outlined the issues against Newcastle (via Leeds Live) in Wolves’ previous game, which they lost 2-1. When asked where his side need to improve, he replied: “I think in possession.”

His side weren’t aggressive enough, either, he added: “They (Newcastle) are really aggressive.”

The 29-year-old offered a solution in the game against Javi Gracia’s side, he said: “We should pass the ball quicker to make them run more and have more solutions in the middle because we could play behind the midfielders. We did sometimes but it wasn’t enough.”

Quiz: Can you remember Leeds United’s last 15 results v Wolves ahead of Molineux trip?

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November 2022, Molineux (EFL Cup)?

How could the game between Wolves and Leeds go?

The game is on a knife edge and it hasn’t even kicked off yet.

Leeds under Javi Gracia and Wolves under Julen Lopetegui are very similar sides, even down to how they structure their build up so far.

Wolves have generally played a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 so far under his tutelage, occasionally changing to a 4-3-3 in search of midfield control.

However, neither side are strong in this regard, and so a more direct and transitional game is likely to be expected. However, without either wanting to overcommit numbers in the final third, for fear of being countered on.

This could make the game more congested and ‘stodgy’ in defensive areas. A low scoring affair is probably the most likely outcome for this reason, unless there is an early goal.