Leeds United sit third in the Championship standings and are one of the strongest favourites to win automatic promotion to the Premier League this season. However, they suffered a setback last weekend when they lost 1-0 away at Blackburn Rovers. It was a minor hiccup but they will be keen to make sure that it doesn’t become anything more than this weekend.
The Whites are still on course to win back promotion to the Premier League but Leeds are aware that they were in a similar position last season. Some inconsistent form meant that they finished outside the top two and they eventually lost the playoff final against Southampton at Wembley.
Leeds will host Derby at home on Saturday in the early kick-off and it’s a game they cannot afford to lose points. Teams with promotion ambition should be beating a Derby side who are 15th in the table and are coming into the game on the back of back-to-back defeats.
The Rams are without a win in four and Leeds should be extending the run to five games with a win in front of their home fans at Elland Road this weekend.
Derby are tricky but Leeds United should have enough
To be honest, the Rams look like a better team than their position in the table suggests and Sheffield Wednesday needed a 94th minute goal to beat them at Pride Park last weekend.
They should provide a challenge to Leeds and like most away teams, they are expected to sit back and hope to hit Farke’s side on the counter at Elland Road.
However, Leeds must ensure that they get all three points as back-to-back games without a win can be costly even this early in the season as the race for automatic promotion will be tighter than expected.
Sheffield United and Burnley both won last weekend and it ensured Leeds’ defeat meant that they dropped out of the top two. It’s paramount that the Whites get back to winning ways this weekend.
Former Championship star Sam Parkin has admitted that Derby can be a tricky side but feels Leeds should beat them comfortably given the Rams’ poor away record this season.
“I saw Derby cause a lot of problems to Swansea despite getting beat last mid-week so I can understand you expecting to cause them (Leeds) one or two problems”, Parkin said on Benjamin Bloom’s YouTube channel.
“I don’t think it will be as tight as 2-1, so to contradict what I just said I’m going to go 2-0 Leeds. I can’t see Derby with their contrasting home and away form getting anything at Elland Road.”
Leeds will bank on their excellent home form
While Leeds United have been vulnerable away from home, at Elland Road the team have been brilliant and will bank on that form against Derby.
Leeds have won seven of their nine games at home, scoring 20 goals and conceding just five. All the issues they face on the road with regards to opening up defences, seem to disappear when they play in front of their fans at Elland Road.
Apart from one defeat to Championship rivals Burnley at home, Leeds have been more or less flawless on their turf and will back themselves to beat the Rams this weekend.
Leeds do need their home form to continue as on the road they have looked beatable and have already suffered three defeats this season away from home.
Daniel Farke is aware that an excellent home form will ensure that Leeds get more time to fix their away woes while remaining in contention for automatic promotion.
A clean sheet and three points will be nice ahead of Leeds hosting promotion rivals Middlesbrough at Elland Road next week.
