Leicester City will be hosting Leeds United on Friday night in a crucial Championship match that could see them extend their lead at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Leeds United has the opportunity to close the gap with second-placed Ipswich Town with a victory at the King Power Stadium.
Match Preview
Before the start of the 2023-24 season, it was widely believed that Leicester and Leeds would be the front-runners for automatic promotion.
However, Ipswich Town has defied expectations, currently sitting nine points clear of Leeds in third place.
On the other hand, Leicester City has exceeded expectations and firmly established themselves in first place.
Leicester has been in exceptional form, winning 13 out of their 14 second-tier matches.
Their latest victory came against Queens Park Rangers, with Harry Winks scoring a stunning winner in the dying minutes of the game.
Although their performances haven’t always been convincing, they have managed to secure maximum points consistently, unlike the teams below them in the table.
One of the standout aspects of Leicester’s game this season has been their defensive solidity.
They have not conceded more than once in a single Championship fixture and have only let in eight goals in 14 matches.
Additionally, their home record is impressive, having conceded only three times in seven games at the King Power Stadium.
Leeds United, on the other hand, has been in good form recently, scoring seven goals in their last three matches.
They secured a 3-2 win against Norwich City and a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.
Their only defeat in their previous five games came against Stoke City.
After a slow start under manager Daniel Farke, Leeds has managed to climb up the table and currently sits outside the automatic promotion spots.
Leeds will need to improve their away form, as they have already suffered three defeats on the road.
While Joel Piroe has struggled to find the back of the net, Crysencio Summerville has been in fine form, contributing five goals and three assists in just five appearances.
Team news
Leicester could see the return of Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, and Kasey McAteer.
Kelechi Iheanacho may also be preferred over Jamie Vardy, while Wilfred Ndidi is expected to miss out due to a muscle problem.
Leeds will assess the fitness of Sam Byram, Joe Rodon, and Crysencio Summerville, who all suffered minor injuries in their last game.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
Leicester City:
- Hermansen;
- Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin;
- Casadei, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall;
- McAteer, Iheanacho, Mavididi
Leeds United:
- Meslier;
- Shackleton, Cooper, Struijk, Byram;
- Kamara, Ampadu;
- James, Piroe, Summerville;
- Rutter
Prediction
While Leeds has the attacking potential to cause an upset, it’s hard to bet against the runaway leaders who have consistently found ways to secure late wins.
- Our prediction for the match is a 2-1 victory for Leicester City.
