Norwich City penalty shootout admission presents Leeds United with familiar Elland Road problem

The Canaries head coach says he hopes to stay in the game as long as possible at Elland Road, believing that the longer Norwich are in the tie, the better their chance of progression to the final, which could provide insight into the team's approach on Thursday night.

Wagner successfully won promotion via the play-offs with Huddersfield Town in 2017, winning two penalty shootouts en route to the Premier League after a 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the opening leg of the play-off semi-final, the same result Leeds managed against his Norwich outfit last Sunday.

Wagner's men drew 1-1 with Wednesday during the second leg at Hillsborough, taking the game to penalties, before securing promotion after a 0-0 draw against Reading in the final.

Asked whether he would be placing much emphasis on spot-kicks in the lead up to Norwich's Elland Road visit this week, Wagner remained coy, preferring to draw on his previous experience of the end-of-season competition with the Terriers.

"Obviously as you know I've experienced the playoffs. [We were] quite successful and I know that penalties can play a part," he said. "So the truth is, everybody knows this. I don't think I speak about [it as a] secret, every second, every minute when we play at Elland Road and we are in the game, it's a minute in our favour."

Wagner's approach, given the success Championship counterparts have had whilst employing it against Leeds in recent fixtures, may be to frustrate the home side, relinquish possession and set up in a deep block, perhaps even relying on the lottery of a penalty shootout to clinch a spot in the play-off final.

Leeds struggled against Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland during the run-in, teams who allowed United to see plenty of the ball but defended their own box resolutely, and came away with just one point from those two home matches. Norwich showed their capability to do so with their mid-block in the first leg of this year's play-off tie, limiting Leeds to chances cumulatively worth a meagre 0.30 Expected Goals (xG) at Carrow Road.

Wagner's words suggest he may take a cautious approach at Elland Road in order to remain in the contest as long as possible.