Leeds United welcome Sheffield United to Elland Road in a huge Yorkshire Derby on Easter Saturday from the Premier League live on Amazon Prime.
Victory would see Leeds United climb to tenth for at least 24 hours, whereas Sheffield Utd need a win to boost their fading survival hopes and pull themselves to within 11 points of safety.
Team News
Mateusz Klich is a doubt for Leeds after contacting Coronavirus whilst away on international duty with Poland and is currently in self-isolation until Friday, although a lack of match fitness could see him rested as a precaution.
Pablo Hernandez, Rodrigo (both muscle), Liam Cooper (illness) and Patrick Bamford (calf) are all fit and in contention, whilst Adam Forshaw (hip) remains ruled out indefinitely.
Sheffield Utd will be without Billy Sharp after he suffered a muscle injury in his hip prior to the Blades’ FA Cup Quarter Final exit at Chelsea.
Enda Stevens is a doubt with a knock suffered away on international duty with Republic of Ireland but Chris Basham (knock), John Egan (toe), Jack Robinson (foot), Sander Berge (hamstring), Jack Rodwell (fitness) and Jack O’Connell (knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Leeds have lost just one of five previous Premier League meetings against Sheffield United (W3, D1, L1).
- Sheffield Utd lost each of their two previous Premier League away games at Elland Road despite scoring once in both visits (L2).
- Patrick Bamford has scored just four goals for Leeds in 2021, with three of those four goals coming after half time.
- Only one of Sheffield Utd’s six away league goals this season has come from the penalty spot.
- This is Leeds’ first match this season to be refereed by Graham Scott in all competitions
Prediction
Leeds enter this match comfortably in mid-table and off the back of their first away win over a London based team this season, in which they dominated on the attack with a strong energetic flow to their play whist soaking up pressure when Fulham attacked.
Sheffield Utd meanwhile were unlucky to not force extra time at Chelsea in their Quarter-Final exit of this season’s FA Cup, simply because they played impressively well but two individual errors and wasted finishing of opportunities cost them a result.
I am therefore interested in seeing whether that match has given the Blades a platform to build on, because if they can come here and get a result then they could faintly believe in doing the great escape but I think Leeds should have enough for another win in this Yorkshire derby.
Prediction: Leeds United 1-0 Sheffield United
Result: Leeds United 2-1 Sheffield United
Leave a Reply