2024-25 Sky Bet Championship: Week 34 – Monday

Sheffield United meet Leeds United in a blockbuster promotion six-pointer showdown in the Championship. 

Victory will see Sheffield Utd move above Leeds to top the table, whilst Leeds can move five points clear at the summit with a win.

 

Team News

Adam Davies is a doubt for Sheffield Utd after he missed the Blades recent games with a calf injury.

Gustavo Hamer (hamstring), Kieffer Moore (hernia) and Tom Cannon (ankle) are expected to be available for selection.

Femi Seriki (calf), Oli Arblaster (ACL) plus Sai Sachdev (leg) remain absent.

Leeds could be without Manor Solomon after he suffered a knock in their comeback win over Sunderland last week.

Max Wober (knee) and Patrick Bamford (hamstring) remain ruled out.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Sheffield Utd host Leeds at Bramall Lane on Monday 24 February at 8pm GMT, live on Sky Sports Football in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Sheffield Utd have won one of their last five meetings against Leeds (W1, L4).
• Leeds have won two of their last six league visits to Sheffield Utd (W2, D1, L3).
• Three of Sheffield Utd’s last five meetings against Leeds were settled by 1-0 results, with Leeds having won two of those three particular games.
• Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has scored in each of Sheffield Utd’s last two home games (W2).
• Joel Piroe has scored four goals in three of his last four league appearances for Leeds.

 

Prediction

After having dug deep away to Luton for a clinical win in a gutsy game where they had to play the patient long game and defended resiliently to take their chance late on, Sheffield Utd must use that performance as a blueprint if they want to nullify Leeds’ attack.

Sunderland though did a similar job with a first-half goal but were undone from second-half set-pieces which shows how strong Leeds are in how they fought back for a crucial win, but this will be even harder because it’s a full-on top-of-table clash with an opportunity to put promotion in their own hands with victory.

My instinct is that this will be a scrappy tough physical battle as neither team will want to lose but Sheffield Utd know that a win would put them top, which could in-turn pose a tough question of Leeds’ promotion credentials with Burnley lurking very close behind the pair.

A draw therefore feels like a fair call given what is at stake coming into this game.

Prediction: Sheffield Utd 1-1 Leeds

Result: Sheffield Utd 1-3 Leeds