Leeds United are set to square off against their fiercest rivals, Manchester United, at Old Trafford this evening.
Daniel Farke’s side has an immense task ahead of them that has only gotten even more difficult when considering the injuries to the likes of Anton Stach and Joe Rodon.
Alan Shearer is not confident in the Whites returning to West Yorkshire with a positive result; however, Paul Merson disagreed and thinks United can cause an upset.
Opta’s supercomputer is the latest to weigh in on the highly anticipated clash, with there being a clear winner according to the data.
Manchester United go into the game against Leeds United as heavy favourites
With the likes of West Ham and Nottingham Forest picking up results over the weekend, the pressure has been ramped up on Leeds ahead of the game tonight, with the gap between the Whites and the drop zone sitting at just three points.
However, Opta’s supercomputer expects the gap to remain at three points after tonight’s game, with Man United expected to win handily.
- Man United have been given a 61.7% chance of winning tonight
- Leeds’ chances of winning sit at just 18.1%
- The chance of a draw occurring sits at 20.2%
Leeds have not won a game at Old Trafford in the league since 1981, but if Farke’s side could somehow end this barren streak, then they would be heavily favoured from this point on to stay in the Premier League.
Ilia Gruev may have a huge role to play at Old Trafford
When considering Leeds’ injury troubles, it would not be a surprise to see Farke set up to attempt to frustrate Man United and to try and clinch a point.
Leeds did this very successfully at Anfield against Liverpool in January, and Gruev was particularly effective for Farke in midfield as the German manager was able to keep things tight.
Gruev had one of his best games in a Leeds shirt that night, and supporters will be hoping he can put in a similar sort of performance should he be selected at Old Trafford.
- Gruev won seven of the 10 duels he contested during his spectacular performance at Anfield
- The midfielder also managed to notch four defensive contributions
- Gruev completed 31 of the 37 passes he attempted against Liverpool (Sofascore)
Hopefully, between Gruev and Ethan Ampadu, there will be enough defensive assurance in the midfield to keep the likes of Bruno Fernandes quiet for the hosts to give Leeds the best chance of picking up a positive result.
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