Two promotion contenders square off in the Championship this weekend, as Leeds United host Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road.
Heading into the weekend, the Whites sit top of the table, with 53 points from 26 games, while Wednesday are 10th, just four points off the playoff zone.
Match preview
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Having suffered heartache in the playoff final last season, Leeds look determined to ensure they do not miss out on promotion to the Premier League this time around.
Daniel Farke's men have enjoyed a hugely successful season, particularly at home, where they have the strongest record of all sides in the division on their own turf.
Impressively, the Whites have only conceded seven times at home in the league all season, while netting 30 goals, which is a major reason why the club have only lost once at Elland Road in the league this campaign.
The hosts are also on a nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions, having last suffered defeat back in November away to Blackburn Rovers.
However, Farke will be wary that his side has dropped points in each of their past two matches, and if they want to secure automatic promotion this year, then they cannot afford too many draws, with the likes of Burnley, Sheffield United and Sunderland all breathing down their necks.
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They will look to secure their first league win of the new year this weekend, up against a Wednesday team that have exceeded expectations so far this season under Danny Rohl.
The hosts will hope to continue their dominance in matches against fellow Yorkshire sides, as the Whites are unbeaten in their previous 17 clashes against teams from the region.
Having finished 20th in the Championship last season, the Owls were expected to be closer to the relegation zone than to promotion, but as the season has progressed, Wednesday's form has improved.
Defeat to local rivals Sheffield United in November left Rohl's side just three points clear of the drop zone, but the disappointment from that day appeared to be the turning point in their season.
In the 11 games since the defeat at Bramall Lane, Wednesday have won five and drawn four times to give their fans realistic hope of a promotion push in the second half of the campaign.
In particular, there has been a notable improvement from Wednesday on their travels, with Rohl's side winning five of their past eight away league matches, the same number that they had managed in their previous 14 games on the road.
Despite now having the seventh-best away record in the Championship, the Owls will need to put in a big effort to come away from Elland Road with a win this weekend.
Although they are enjoying a successful season so far, the visitors have the sixth-worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 40 times in 26 games.
This weekend will be a major challenge for their defence, as they come up against a prolific Leeds team that have scored more goals than any other side in the league, with 48 goals in 26 matches – five more than the second-highest scorers, Middlesbrough.
Team News
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Leeds have suffered an injury blow ahead of this fixture, with Pascal Struijk ruled out for at least three weeks with a hamstring problem.
Other players out with hamstring injuries are Patrick Bamford and Junior Firpo, with the Brazilian expected to return at the end of the month.
In better news for the hosts, leading scorer Joel Piroe is available for selection this weekend after missing the FA Cup win against Harrogate Town last weekend.
Elsewhere, Ilia Gruev returned to action as a late substitute against Harrogate, after three months out with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the visitors have a couple of doubts for this game, with both Michael Ihiekwe and Olaf Kobacki reportedly lacking in match sharpness.
In further bad news for Wednesday, other absentees include Yan Valery (knee), Dominic Iorfa (hamstring) and Akin Famewo (muscle).
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Wober, Rodon, Tanaka, Bogle; Ampadu, Rothwell, Aaronson, James, Solomon; Piroe
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Lowe, Bernard, Otegbayo, Valentin; Bannan, Charles, Gassama, Windass, Musaba; Ugbo
We say: Leeds United 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday have shown major signs of improvement in recent months and have played their way into the playoff race.
However, Leeds are top for good reason and their record at home is almost faultless, so we think they will win a close encounter against their Yorkshire rivals this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Tom Humphrey
