Leeds United have been tipped to secure automatic promotion, despite dropping out of the top two in the past week.
The Whites have been embroiled in a three-way tussle for the Championship title for much of the season with Burnley and Sheffield United. It was Leeds who looked to be storming their way to the Premier League though, hitting the top of the tree at Christmas.
Daniel Farke’s side maintained their position in the months that followed but have recently suffered an untimely blip in form. This started with a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion on March 1st and was followed by a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth.
A 2-0 victory over Millwall looked to have gotten things back on track. However, they have drawn their last three against Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City and Luton Town to fall out of the automatic promotion places for the first time since November.
Leeds Tipped For Late Season Recovery
Leeds’ blow at the weekend was softened by Sheffield United’s shock defeat at Oxford United. This did see Burnley climb to the top of the table, but there currently is just two points separating the three teams.
Farke takes his team to Middlesbrough tonight in what will arguably be their toughest fixture during the run-in. Their other games will see them host Preston North End, Stoke City and Bristol City at Elland Road whilst they travel to Oxford and Plymouth Argyle.
Meanwhile, the biggest game remaining in the Championship this season will see Sheffield United head to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. With at least one team guaranteed to drop points, this could be Leeds’ saving grace.
This is a view shared by Opta, who predict that the Yorkshire-based team will sneak back into the top two over the remaining six games. The data analysts tip Burnley to hold on to the top spot and are given an 80.46% chance of promotion. Leeds are next at 67.68% with Sheffield United in third at 51.50%.
Writer’s View
There is a real worry in and around Leeds that they could have to attempt to navigate their way through the play-offs to secure a place in the Premier League. Their 1-0 defeat against Southampton in last year’s final is still fresh in the fans memories and after topping the table for so much of the season, anything other than a top two finish would be a disaster. Still, they still have it in their own hands due to the upcoming clash between Burnley and Sheffield United, but they have to return to winning ways…quickly.
