Leeds United's Tactical Plan Against Nottingham Forest: Farke's 3-4-3
Leeds United head to the City Ground on Saturday with momentum in their stride and a clear plan in Daniel Farke’s mind. A 4-0 dismantling of Augsburg in pre-season has sharpened confidence, and the Leeds manager is expected to double down on that template with an aggressive 3-4-3 against Nottingham Forest.
This is not a day for experimentation. It’s a day for a full-strength statement.
Farke’s Shape: Bold and Front-Foot
Farke is set to stick with a 3-4-3 system, trusting it to give Leeds both defensive security and enough bodies high up the pitch to hurt Forest. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is primed to lead the line, the focal point of an attack built to feed him relentlessly inside the box.
Behind him, every line has a defined job. There’s little ambiguity in this setup: defend with discipline, dominate the middle, and let the front three punish any hesitation.
Defence: Trafford and a Demanding Back Three
James Trafford will start in goal, tasked with backing up his defence and hunting a clean sheet in what is likely to be a hostile City Ground atmosphere. He will need to be sharp; Forest at home rarely play passively.
In front of him, Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol and Tarik Muharemović form the back three. It’s a unit that will have to stay compact, communicate constantly and resist the temptation to get dragged out of position by Forest’s movement. Any lapse, and the hosts will pounce.
Sebastiaan Bornauw waits in reserve on the bench, ready to step in if Farke needs fresh legs or a different profile at the back.
Midfield Engine: Steel and Width
In the centre, Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu are set to anchor the midfield. Their brief is demanding: control the tempo, win second balls, and set the platform for Leeds to push numbers into the final third. If they establish dominance in that zone, Leeds’ entire structure comes alive.
Out wide, James Justin on the left and Jayden Bogle on the right have dual roles. They must first protect their flanks, track runners and shut down Forest’s wide threats. Once that work is done, they’re expected to surge forward, overlap, and deliver quality into dangerous areas. Their energy will define how often Leeds can pin Forest back.
Ao Tanaka and Sean Longstaff are likely to start on the bench, both offering fresh legs and a different rhythm in midfield if the game opens up in the second half.
Attack: Service to Calvert-Lewin
Up front, Farke turns to a front three built around Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s presence in the box.
Harry Wilson is expected to operate from the right, drifting inside onto his stronger foot and looking to create or shoot from the edge of the area. On the opposite flank, Brenden Aaronson will work from the left, pressing aggressively and trying to knit together attacks with his movement between the lines.
At the tip, Calvert-Lewin leads the charge. His job is simple to describe and brutal to execute: occupy centre-backs, attack every cross, and be a constant nuisance inside the Nottingham Forest penalty area. If Leeds’ wide players and wing-backs deliver, he will get chances.
Leeds arrive with confidence, a clear structure, and a centre-forward built for exactly this kind of away battle. Now it’s about whether that 3-4-3 can turn a strong pre-season into hard Premier League points.
