Daniel Wales and Lee Sobot preview Leeds United’s final two Championship matches of the season.
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00:00Burnley's win in the Championship on Saturday afternoon means that the Championship title race will go down until the last day of the season.
00:09Leeds are yet to play this weekend and they take on Bristol City on Monday evening, knowing that if they win that, they will go back to the top of the Championship table level on points with Burnley, but with a superior goal difference.
00:22Then, Leeds face their final game of the season away at nearly relegated Plymouth Argyle.
00:29So, let's go now to Lee Soberts of the Yorkshire Evening Post to preview both of the ties, starting with the Elland Road fixture against Bristol City, who themselves are going for their place in the playoffs, knowing that a win against Leeds would see the Robins qualify for the playoffs at the end of the season.
00:48So, Lee, just how tough will the two games be for Leeds side, who of course are looking to win the Championship title to put the cherry on top of their already iced cake, which is of course promotion back to the Premier League.
01:01Yes, Plymouth will perhaps be seen as the easier game of the two, given the fact that they are pretty much already relegated, but Bristol City certainly at Elland Road on Monday evening will be a tough test, given what the Robins are still playing for in the Championship this season.
01:17You could argue that Bristol City do have a decent final fixture of the season when they take on Preston North End, a team who are also fighting for their lives against relegation to League One.
01:29And Bristol City know that they could go and win that game and be secure in the playoffs, but certainly they want to get the job done more quickly.
01:37So, Lee, how do you see the fixtures going and just how tough are these games?
01:44They're both going to be difficult games, there's no doubt about that. As I say, I think the Plymouth games accentuated by the kick-off time as well, you know, 12.30 all the way down there.
01:51I mean, we know about Leeds' record in lunchtime kick-offs, which has got a bit better, but it's still not great, and obviously going all the way down there.
01:57I mean, Leeds should be too good, really, for Plymouth if Plymouth are heading for League One and possibly in Leeds heading for the Premier League.
02:03You know, class should rise to the top, but it'll still be difficult, obviously.
02:05But first things first, Bristol City, yeah, I mean, it's funny, really.
02:09You looked at that game quite a while back and you thought, like, well, obviously everybody's got a lot of respect for Bristol City,
02:13but they weren't quite as high up in the table as they are now.
02:16And obviously, like you say, in fifth place and looking like they're going to get in the playoffs, I think they need three more points to get in there.
02:22So, you know, like, obviously they'll be going to Ellen Road thinking, well, why not?
02:25You know, let's go and be the second team to win at Ellen Road this season and seal our playoffs place.
02:29But I think realistically, if they went to Leeds and got a draw, that would be a very good result for them.
02:33And then they've got Preston at home on the last game of the season.
02:36So it will be hard, though.
02:37They're a tough team to beat.
02:38That said, they did have a setback at the weekend, lost 3-1 at Luton, another team who was scrapping for the lives.
02:43And they have got a few injuries, like starting to add up a little bit and they haven't got a massive, massive squad.
02:48So, you know, I don't know about the sort of like running out of gas or whatever,
02:51because I still think they probably will make the playoffs, obviously, with that last game.
02:54But it might, you know, be a reasonably enough time for them to play, a reasonably good time for Leeds to play them,
03:00bearing in mind they've got that home game on the horizon to look at as well.
03:04But it will be tough, definitely be one of the harder games this season.
03:06I think it was 0-0 away at Ashton Gate, wasn't it?
03:08And, you know, that was sort of like seen by many as a good result.
03:11And ultimately it has been, I suppose, because obviously now they've gone up.
03:15But it'll be hard, yeah.
03:16Leeds are odds on favourites, though.
03:17And, as I say, if they're going for the Premier League and the form they're in on the back of a 6-0 thumping,
03:23you know, I expect them, you know, they should realistically go and win.
03:27I'm not saying it'll be easy, but they should do, really.
03:28And it'll be interesting to see how, like, not having that pressure affects the team as well,
03:33because it might end up, might be that they end up being even better now.
03:36You know, I don't think this team sort of like, you know,
03:39you know, sort of shirt the issue or anything under pressure or anything like that.
03:42But the pressure was there, obviously, and the pressure was enormous.
03:44And now, like, the handbrake's off from that perspective.
03:47Do you know what I mean?
03:47And stuff in terms of, like, they might feel a bit more freedom and stuff to express themselves even more.
03:52I mean, they could end up being even, you know, more relaxed and even better.
03:54So, I'd expect them to beat Bristol City, but I do think it'll be difficult.
03:58I mean, it's four games now, isn't there, basically?
04:00Because you've got QPR v Burnley Saturday lunchtime as well.
04:04Again, not quite tough for Burnley, but I would think they'd probably go there and win, to be honest.
04:08And then, probably, all down to the last game of the season,
04:11where it's, what, Plymouth v Leeds and Burnley v Millwall.
04:13So, again, two games where you'd probably expect them to both win.
04:16And so, if I had my predicting hat on, you know, 100 points is a lot.
04:19But, I mean, the way it's looking, I would expect both teams to finish on 100 points, to be honest,
04:23which would be quite something.
04:24And Leeds, potentially, to win the division on goal difference.
04:27But, you know, it's never that easy predicting these things.
04:30Probably going to be more twists and turns.
04:32But, yeah, you know, the title would be lovely.
04:35But, at the end of the day, it's already job done.
04:36They're already in the Premier League, and that's the main thing.
04:38So, go out and enjoy yourselves against Bristol City and hopefully get a win for another Steps World to Title.