Leeds and WBA are currently at the 3rd and 4th position on the Championship table, respectively. Those positions lead to promotion playoffs, but these teams would like to get to the Premier League directly and that’s possible only if they finish on one of two top spots. That said, every point matters for these two, which is why you can be sure both teams will give their utmost at Elland Road this Friday. Here’s our Leeds vs WBA prediction and betting tips if you wish to make some money off this match!
Leeds
Until a few weeks ago, Leeds were confident on the top of the table, but have since dropped to the 3rd place. On the bright side, they can get back to the top spot this round. For that, they need a little bit of luck and, of course, a win over WBA. Their form isn’t bad, but it also isn’t too impressive. They lost their previous Championship match last Tuesday when they played QPR.
The thing about Leeds is that they’re still not among the biggest favorites for getting promoted. Their squad has a value that’s much lower than the value of a number of other teams in the league. The reason why they’ve been doing so well is that they have a really good manager.
Marcelo Bielsa is a manager with a really impressive portfolio, who used to be in charge of such big clubs like Marseille and Athletic Bilbao. He also was the manager of Argentina and Chile at one point in his career. Obviously, he came to Leeds to help them get promoted.
To do that, he hasn’t been just focusing on his team, but the opponents as well. And a few weeks ago, it was revealed that his men were spying on training sessions of the opponents. Although this practice isn’t illegal, it isn’t considered too gentlemanly, so a big scandal broke out in the league.
As a result, most teams have started paying more attention to their pre-match preparation, keeping the important stuff behind closed doors. Coincidently, since the spying affair was revealed, the form of Leeds started dropping. Whether the two are connected, we can’t be sure, but the fact is that since the scandal went public, Leeds have lost 3 out of 7 matches.
WBA
Here’s a team that played in the Premier League last season and that wishes to get back there as soon as possible. What gives their fans confidence that they can achieve that goal is the fact that they have a really good squad.
WBA are definitely one of the best teams in the league player quality-wise. They have some famous names in the team, particularly in the final third, e.g. Jay Rodriguez, Dwight Gayle, and Hal Robson-Kanu. That’s why it’s not a surprise that they’ve scored 67 goals so far, which is only 1 goal less than how many Norwich scored, the top-scoring team in the league.
WBA did lose in the previous round to Sheffield United at home, but before that, they were in a fine form. Actually, they were without a single defeat in the Championship from the beginning of November 2018 till the beginning of February 2019.
Team News
Leeds absentees:
- None
WBA absentees:
- James Morrison (injury)
Possible Lineups
Leeds
Casilla – Jansson, Cooper, Ayling, Alioski – Philips, Roberts, Klich, Hernandez, Harrison – Bamford
WBA
Johnstone – Dawson, Hegazy, Holgate, Gibbs – Livermore, Johansen, Montero – Rodriguez, Gayle, Robson-Kanu
Leeds vs WBA Prediction
The quality is on the side of WBA and the fact that they’re playing away from home should not mean much in this game. Actually, WBA are the best away team in the league, so it can even be their advantage. I think they’re going to win this; if not, they’re at least going to get a draw.
Leeds vs WBA Betting Tips
- Double Chance X2 @1.73 (1XBET)
- WBA @3.40 (bet365)