Southampton are targeting their first win of the season as they host Leeds United in a Premier League fixture on Saturday. Leeds impressed in their opening fixture and will be confident of at least avoiding defeat at St Mary’s.
It was a disappointing performance for Southampton in their opening fixture of the season as they suffered a 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. They took an early lead through James Ward-Prowse before a defensive collapse saw them concede four times.
Southampton’s time in the Premier League has been marked by constant defensive problems which manager Ralph Hassenhuttl has been unable to solve. They were constantly carved open by Spurs while Mohammed Salisu worsened the situation by scoring a terrible own goal.
The Saints will be hoping for some home comfort on Saturday, although their recent record at St Mary’s has been poor. They have claimed just one win from their last six Premier League matches in front of their fans.
There have been flashes of improvement at Leeds United since manager Jesse Marsch took charge. The American steered them away from relegation on the final day of last season and will be looking to avoid similar problems this term.
Things could not have started any better for Leeds United this season as they began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. They fought back from a goal down with Rodrigo getting the equaliser before a second half own goal sealed the win.
Going by their opening fixture, one problem that still persists for Leeds United is their leaky defence. They have now conceded in six straight Premier League matches with their last clean sheet coming back in April.
How the bookies view it
Southampton have the edge among the bookies with a home win priced at 25/29 by SBK. A victory for Leeds United is valued at 9/4 with SBK while a draw is set at odds of 13/5 with Betfred.
Recent head to head
Leeds United have the slight edge in recent meetings with two wins and a draw from the last four matches against Southampton. The most recent fixture was a 1-1 draw back in April with Jack Harrison and James Ward-Prowse getting the goals for both teams.
Players to watch
James Ward-Prowse finished as top scorer for Southampton last season and has already picked up where he left off with the goal at Spurs. With the midfielder also a threat from set pieces, he could be backed to score on Saturday at 37/13 with SBK.
Rodrigo looked sharp for Leeds United in the opening fixture and capped off a fine display with a goal. The Spanish forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 5/2 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Southampton and Leeds United are not the most defensively solid teams out there, so goals can be expected on Saturday. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 3/4 with 10bet while Sport Nation is offering odds of 19/10 for over 3.5 goals.
A fast start is expected on Saturday and both teams could be backed to score in the first half at 3/1 with Coral.
This English Premier League match between Southampton and Leeds United will be played on Aug 13, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Leeds United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
