EFL pundit Adrian Clarke has predicted who will win the Championship play-off tie between Norwich City and Leeds United.
Daniel Farke is set to lead his Leeds side up against his former club for the third and fourth time this season with the first leg taking place at Carrow Road on Sunday.
Leeds will then host the return fixture at Elland Road on Thursday, where they will be looking to win a home play-off tie for the first time since 1987.
OPTA’s supercomputer has Leeds as favourites for the play-offs overall but in order to do so, the Whites will have to make Championship history.
No side has ever gone onto win the play-offs since the second tier became a 46-game campaign after losing four of their last six regular season matches.
Adrian Clarke predicts winner of Norwich vs Leeds
Due to the form of Leeds in the final weeks of the season, it would be fair to saysupporters are not overly confident heading into the play-offs.
Leeds have failed in all five of their attempts to get promoted via this method and after missing out on automatic promotion, Martin O’Neill says Farke has a big job on his hands getting his players ready.
Chris Sutton also believes all the pressure is on Leeds heading into this particular tie and now on the latest episode of the ‘What the EFL Podcast’, pundit Adrian Clarke has become the latest to give his verdict.
He believes that Norwich are actually favourites going into the first leg but is just about siding with Leeds to make it to the final at Wembley.
He said: “Leeds are certainly on their knees a little bit form wise. It was a worry how they lost meekly at home to Southampton in the way they did. I would almost make Norwich favourites for the first leg but over the two, I would just side with Leeds United.
“It would not surprise me if this was quite cagey, a bit like the old farm derby [in April] between Norwich and Ipswich, horrible game. Norwich nicked it 1-0 and I think they will look to tame Leeds’ front guys in this match. I don’t think they will play in a free-flowing way, but I hope I am proven wrong.”
Chris Sutton names Leeds duo Norwich have to stop
Leeds completed a league double over Norwich and also finished 17 points ahead of them in the table, and so even despite their poor run of form, they should be confident.
Norwich themselves did not end the season in good form with no wins in their last three, and Sutton has selected the two Leeds players they will have to stop to stand any chance.
He said: “The wide areas will be a key battleground. It will be Jack Stacey versus Crysencio Summerville and Sam McCallum or Dimi Giannoulis against Willy Gnonto. Norwich have to win those battles if they want to come through the two legs.”
