Leeds United host Stoke City at Elland Road on Sunday as two of the favourites to win promotion to the Premier League kick off their 2018-19 Championship campaigns.
Both clubs have undergone mass upheaval since the end of last term, both appointing new managers and adding several new additions to aid their charge back to the top flight.
Marcelo Bielsa and Gary Rowett will both be expecting to start their season with a victory in what has been highlighted as the standout fixture in the opening weekend of the season.
Ahead of the meeting, Goal takes a look at everything you need to know.
| Game | Leeds United vs Stoke City |
| Date | Sunday, August 5 |
| Time | 4.30 pm BST / 11:30 am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US) the game can be watched live on TV on ESPN+ and streamed on the WatchESPN app.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ | WatchESPN |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on Sky Sports Football or Sky Sports Main Event and streamed on the Sky Go app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event | SkyGo |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Leeds players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Peacock-Farrell, Blackman, Huffer |
| Defenders | Douglas, Ayling, Forshaw, Cooper, De Bock, Jansson, Pearce, Phillips, Berardi, Shaughnessy, Diaz, Struijk |
| Midfielders | Dallas, Hernandez, Baker, Nicell, Klich, Shackleton, Rey, Harrison |
| Forwards | Roofe, Alioski, Roberts, Saiz, Edmondson, Dalby, Bamford |
Adam Forshaw will miss the game because of a foot injury, with the defender expected to return in 'be back in six to eight weeks' according to his manager.
Bielsa has also written off Pontus Jansson's chances of making an appearance, leaving Leeds slightly short at the back.
Potential Leeds XI: Peacock-Farrell; Ayling, Phillips, Cooper, Douglas; Phillips, Klich, Alioski, Hernandez, Roofe; Bamford
| Position | Stoke players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Butland, Federici, Haugaard |
| Defenders | Shawcross, Martins Indi, Edwards, Bauer, Tymon, Souttar, Pietersm Williams |
| Midfielders | Etebo, McClean, Ince, Fletcher, Sorensen, Adam, Allen, Imbula, Cameron, Ndiaye |
| Forwards | Crouch, Berahino, Diouf, Choupo-Moting, Afobe |
Premier League target Jack Butland will start in goal after his manager revealed he is to stay at the club this season.
Benik Afobe is set to lead the line, with fellow new signings James McClean and Tom Ince either side of him, and Peter Etebo behind him in midfield.
Potential Stoke XI: Butland; Bauer, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Ince, Allen, Etebo, Ndiaye, McClean; Afobe
Betting & Match Odds
Stoke are very narrow favourites to take the points on Sunday, with dabblebet pricing Rowett's men at 17/10. A Leeds win is priced at 7/4, while a draw is 11/5.
Match Preview
Sunday sees Marcelo Bielsa take charge of his first competitive fixture as Leeds boss as his side host Stoke at Elland Road.
Much is expected from the former Argentina boss this season as he looks to impose his high-tempo, attacking philosophy on his new set of players.
Leeds will require time to grow into Bielsa's system, however, and Sunday's meeting with Stoke presents a considerable first hurdle for El Loco.
"We always imagine we will have a hard game," Bielsa told reporters on Friday. "We have the ingredients of a game - it’s the first game of the season and it’s a home game. The opponent has to change the dynamic of their squad.
"Stoke are a strong rival, but it would be risky to say it’s the most important rival before the season because sometimes what we imagine before the season starts doesn’t occur.
"We want to impose our style, one idea. Our idea is to play in the opponent’s half and that means we will dominate our opponent if we impose this idea.
"Our idea is to attack more than to defend, and if we defend the goal it is to attack as soon again as possible."
Leeds' gung-ho game-plan will be welcome news to Stoke and their attacking outlets.
The Potters are overwhelming favourites to win promotion back to the Premier League this season, having dropped into the second division under the guidance of Paul Lambert.
Rowett inherits a strong squad to which he's added a handful of experienced faces to, including McClean, Ince and Afobe. Ashley Williams, too, who arrives from Everton, is a mark of the ambition currently at the club.
Despite the strength of his squad, though, Rowett has warned his players that there is a lot to do if they are to meet expectations this year.
Speaking after the club's 2-0 friendly defeat to St Pauli, the Stoke boss said: “It’s easy for me with a week to go to start criticising the performance but this is about preparation, getting ourselves ready for next weekend. At the moment we’ve got a lot of work to do, an awful lot of work, and that’s what it is.
“I was disappointed and I told the players I was disappointed – and if this was next week I would be really disappointed.
“It gives us a little bit of a kick up the backside about what we need to do – and we’ve got a lot to do.”
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