Reading manager Jose Gomes has said that his side must be at their very best to get anything out of the clash at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.
Leeds are flying high t the moment – in second place in the Championship and with the chance to go top tonight with a win, and Gomes admitted the one thing he is scared of… Leeds’ intensity.
Talking to GetReading Gomes said, “Leeds play very good football with a very good dynamic,” he said.
“They are maybe the best team [in the league] in terms of the intensity they put in the game and the speed in which they circulate the ball.
“They are a very good team so it will be a tough game.”
OPINION
Leeds’ intensity has come from manager Marcelo Bielsa and when they’re on it, there’s no team in the league that can stand up to them. They proved that when they blew promotion hopefuls West Brom away, beating them 4-0 and scoring after just 16 seconds, despite the Baggies kicking off. It’s a high-energy game that depends on quick circulation and the Leeds players haven’t always been able to deliver. However, the stakes are getting ever higher week by week and the Leeds players won’t need any extra motivation tonight, with the chance to re-take the top spot in the league. Some pundits said that Leeds wouldn’t be able to keep up their intensity for the whole season but so far they’re giving the lie to that. Talking about tonight’s game, Leeds actually can’t afford to be anything but their best, with a potentially season-defining game against third-placed side Sheffield United coming up on Saturday. It’s a huge week for Leeds – perhaps Gomes is right to be a little scared.