Bijol says unpredictability can aid Leeds´ survival bid ahead of Palace clash

Leeds United’s latest utilization of three centre-backs means opponents will discover them a much less predictable and tougher prospect, believes Jaka Bijol.

Crystal Palace are the guests to Elland Street in one among two late kick-offs on Saturday, with Daniel Farke’s hosts hoping to keep away from spending Christmas contained in the relegation zone.

A degree can be sufficient to make sure they continue to be above 18th-placed West Ham, following a return of 5 factors from video games in opposition to Chelsea, Liverpool and Brentford.

Leeds final had an extended run with out defeat in the identical Premier League season in March and April 2022 (5 video games), and Bijol believes their change to a 3-5-2 formation with

Noah Okafor or Lukas Nmecha supporting Dominic Calvert-Lewin has given them a brand new dimension.

“It’s a kind of issues when it really works higher than one thing else,” Bijol informed BBC Radio Leeds. Having one formation makes it simpler for our opponents, so now it makes it tougher for everybody to arrange for us.”

Palace have been in Convention League motion on Thursday, drawing 2-2 with Finnish outfit KuPS after making wholesale modifications to their lineup.

Oliver Glasner’s facet have a packed festive schedule, with an EFL Cup quarter-final in opposition to Arsenal to come back earlier than Christmas, after which they host Tottenham and Fulham.

However Bijol doesn’t anticipate the Eagles to indicate any indicators of fatigue, saying: “As per any Premier League workforce, they’ve an enormous squad and they’re prepared to vary it up. Everybody at that stage is a prime participant that may come on and make a distinction.

“I’m certain they are going to be prepared for Saturday evening to come back and carry out, however I’m certain we’ll give our all. We all know we’re in a position to rating, and one aim in opposition to doesn’t throw us off.”

Rewind: Crystal Palace pic.twitter.com/VdY5cbgDCo

— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 18, 2025

Having shuffled his pack on Thursday, Glasner was not involved about holding his playing cards near his chest concerning Saturday’s beginning XI.

Requested if he knew Saturday’s lineup, he informed reporters: “It’s straightforward. Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, [Maxence] Lacroix, [Chris] Richards, [Tyrick] Mitchell, [Will] Hughes, [Adam] Wharton, [Nathaniel] Clyne, [Yeremy] Pino, [Eddie] nketiah, [Jean-Philippe] Mathema.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leeds United – Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Calvert-Lewin has scored 5 targets in 13 Premier League appearances in opposition to Crystal Palace, solely netting extra in opposition to Newcastle United (six).

He’s seeking to develop into simply the fourth completely different Leeds participant to attain in 5 consecutive Premier League appearances, after Mark Viduka (twice in 2003), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (December 1998) and Rod Wallace (December 1993).

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

Each Calvert-Lewin and Mateta have scored 4 non-penalty targets within the Premier League this season, with all of them coming from first-time photographs.

That’s the most non-penalty targets by anybody with all of them coming first-time this season.

MATCH PREDICTION – CRYSTAL PALACE WIN

Leeds have misplaced their final two Premier League video games in opposition to Crystal Palace, as many defeats as they suffered of their earlier 9 conferences with the Eagles (W5 D2).

Leeds have additionally netted three targets in every of their final two residence Premier League matches (W1 D1) and final scored three or extra in three successive residence video games in December and January of the 2001-02 marketing campaign.

Nevertheless, no workforce has received extra away Premier League factors in 2025 than Crystal Palace (34), whereas the Eagles have received probably the most away video games within the division, too (10).

The final non ‘large six’ facet to win greater than 10 away video games in a calendar yr was West Ham in 2021 (11), and earlier than that, it was the Eagles themselves in 2015 (11).

Palace have underperformed their anticipated targets greater than some other facet within the Premier League this season (-6.5), too, scoring 20 targets from 26.5 xG. The Eagles’ common of 1.7 xG per sport is their highest in a league marketing campaign since their return to the top-flight in 2013.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leeds United – 27.2%

Crystal Palace – 48.8%

Draw – 24%