Take a look at the final run-in of Leeds United fixtures compared to their rivals Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
The Championship continued to deliver twists and turns yet again over a chaotic weekend of fixtures. Leicester City kicked off the games with a Friday night trip to Plymouth Argyle, but they were unable to make chances pay, falling to a 1-0 defeat.
That opened the opportunity for Leeds United to leapfrog them in the early Saturday fixture against Blackburn Rovers. While Daniel Farke‘s side had plenty of opportunities, one counterattack from Sammie Szmodics put them to the sword.
It resulted in a loss at Elland Road and another missed opportunity to move one step closer towards promotion. Fortunately for them, Ipswich Town also failed to capitalise as Middlesbrough held them to a 1-1 draw at Portman Road.
With plenty still left to play for, and lots of twists and turns likely to follow, here’s a look at the final run-in of Leeds United fixtures compared to their promotion rivals.
Leeds United fixtures
Middlesbrough (A) – April 22
Next up for Leeds is a trip to Middlesbrough, which will be far from an easy clash. Michael Carrick’s side still has a slim chance of making the playoffs and has shown they are capable of holding the teams near the top, having just done so to Ipswich.
Current league position: 9th.
League form: Two wins, three draws, zero defeats.
Previous meeting: Leeds United 3-2 Middlesbrough – 2 December, 2023.
QPR (A) – April 26
QPR are the final away game of the season, as the London club look to move closer to securing their Championship status. Leeds previously got the better of their opponents, however an uptick in form could see a different challenge this time around.
Current league position: 19th.
League form: Two wins, one draw, two defeats.
Previous meeting: Leeds United 1-0 QPR – 4 October, 2023.
Southampton (H) – May 4
The final match of the season comes against Southampton in a clash that could be monumental to the season. With promotion likely to go to the wire, it could be a tense affair against a team that are still looking at a slim chance of a top two finish.
Current league position: 4th.
League form: Two wins, two draws, one defeat.
Previous meeting: Southampton 3-1 Leeds United – 30 September, 2023.
Average opposition league position: 11th.
Leicester City fixtures
West Brom (H) – April 20
Southampton (H) – April 23
Preston (A) – April 29
Blackburn Rovers (H) – May 4
Current form: Two wins, zero draws, three defeats.
Average league position of opposition: 9th.
Ipswich Town fixtures
Hull City (A) – April 27
Coventry City (A) – April 30
Huddersfield Town (H) – May 4
Current form: Two wins, two draws, one defeat.
Average league position of opposition: 12th.
Our verdict
Leeds cannot afford to slip up in the final few weeks or they risk being put through the playoffs and the randomness that can deliver. Similar can be said of the other teams around them, however the Whites are currently the ones occupying third, meaning there’s more urgency in gaining those points.
One key point is that Ipswich don’t play their next game until Leeds play two of their final three and Leicester have played two of their final four. It means there’s an even greater importance on putting points on the board.
The season looks set to go down to the wire, but teams will need to start taking their chances to get over the finish line.