Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo Moreno could start together for just the third time this season when Leeds United travel to Crystal Palace. With Luis Sinisterra suspended, a place has opened up in the Whites’ attack and Bamford appears the most likely to take it based on Jesse Marsch’s comments in his pre-match press conference.
Since Rodrigo’s arrival at Elland Road back in the summer of 2020, Leeds have played 83 league matches. Once it was established that Rodrigo was favoured more as a number 10, it was expected that the Spaniard would be able to form a partnership with Bamford.
However, due to injury problems for Rodrigo in 2020/21, and the same for Bamford in 2021/22, the two have been able to start together just 21 times. On three of those occasions one of them also had to be substituted in the first half.
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What makes that statistic perhaps more frustrating is the fact Leeds actually have an impressive record when both are named in the starting XI. The Whites have won on 11 occasions, giving them a win rate of over 50%.
The two have also contributed to 21 goals in those matches, which, of course, equates to an average of one per game. Individually, Rodrigo has eight goals and one assist, with Bamford netting nine and assisting three.
In the seven games they have lost starting together, four of those have come against Manchester United (twice), Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. That suggests when Leeds play the sides expected to be in and around them come the end of the season, they have a much better chance of winning, which bodes well when they head to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Bamford & Rodrigo record together:
Wins: 11
Draws: 3
Losses: 7
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