Leeds vs Sheffield United

A clash between two heavyweights, both eager to return to the Premier League, kicks off this weekend's Championship round as an in-form Sheffield United travels to Leeds for a fiery Yorkshire derby.

Leeds went into the international break with a bitter ending to their top-of-the-table clash against Sunderland. They initially fell behind but turned it around to lead 2-1 through goals from Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo. Sunderland pushed for an equalizer without creating major chances, but were helped by a blunder in the seventh minute of stoppage time when Leeds goalkeeper Illian Meslier committed a rare and costly mistake. Fans, who have long expressed dissatisfaction with Meslier, were not appeased by this high-profile error.

Frustrated Leeds Manager

The draw means Daniel Farke's side has only secured two points from the last six available, and they will be desperate to return to winning ways in what is expected to be an electric atmosphere under the floodlights at Elland Road. However, Farke is not entirely pleased with the timing of the fixture.

“I struggle to understand the scheduling, playing on a Friday night right after the international break. When we play on Saturday, we at least get one training session with the team. It’s a bit disappointing and frustrating to have such limited preparation for a match of this magnitude,” said Farke, who will be without the injured trio of Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu, and Ilia Gruev on Friday.

Alavés – Valladolid

Top of the Class

Friday's visitors to Elland Road are not only the only unbeaten team in the Championship but have also won five of their last six games, conceding just three goals in total. Normally, this record would be enough to top the table, but a two-point deduction for missed transfer payments means they still trail Sunderland. Regardless, Chris Wilder’s side is full of confidence after six straight matches without conceding a goal.

Two goals from Crystal Palace loanee Jesurun Rak-Sakyi secured a 2-0 win in their last game before the break, against last season’s Premier League side Luton at Bramall Lane. And it's not just at home that they’ve delivered results. In their first four away games, they've only conceded one goal. The only confirmed absentee for the Blades' squad is Tom Davies.

Championship Prediction, Leeds – Sheffield United

Sheffield United set a negative record for most goals conceded in the Premier League last season, but they’ve turned things around and are now clearly the stingiest team in the Championship. Six consecutive clean sheets is nothing short of impressive. Leeds, strong offensively, failed to score in two of this season’s early big games—against WBA and Burnley. Three of the last four head-to-heads between Leeds and Sheffield United have ended with just one goal, and we expect another tight, low-scoring affair tonight. Betting on under 2.5 goals is recommended.