Leeds United face another huge match in their push for automatic promotion tonight at Queens Park Rangers.
The Whites will be looking to make it back-to-back wins at the best possible time, with tonight’s trip to the capital Leeds’ penultimate game of the season.
Leeds currently occupy second place in the Championship and know a victory would move them four points above Ipswich Town, in what looks set to be a two-horse race for second spot.
That said, Ipswich will have two games in hand at Hull and Coventry City on Leeds after tonight, but the pressure would very much be on for them to win both to ensure it is in their hands on the final day.
Leicester City wideman Marc Albrighton believes Ipswich will get the job done ahead of Leeds, and we will certainly have a better idea at the end of this weekend’s matches.
Leeds have clear area they can exploit QPR tonight
Leeds will be facing a QPR side this evening who will be looking to officially secure their Championship status for another season. They are all but there, but it is not mathematically done yet.
After a brief barren spell for Leeds’ front four in the eyes of Don Goodman, they were all very much back to their best at Boro on Monday, and a similar performance tonight would be huge.
However, the game is unlikely to be as open as it was at the Riverside, with QPR more likely to sit slightly deeper, which is something Leeds have struggled against this season.
With that in mind, Leeds may have to find other avenues in which they can exploit the home side, and that could actually be set-pieces.
According to data published by statistician George Massey, QPR have conceded the most amount of set-piece goals in the entire division this season.
Leeds have more than enough height in their team with Patrick Bamford, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Junior Firpo and Georginio Rutter to take advantage of this.
Farke says Leeds must improve at set-pieces
Having said that, Leeds are actually one of the worst sides at scoring from set-pieces in the Championship. With just eight, only Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers have scored less.
But given QPR’s weakness from these situations, Leeds will not have a better opportunity to do so, with Daniel Farke telling the Yorkshire Evening Post after the recent defeat against Blackburn it is something they simply have to improve.
He said: “It’s up to me to find solutions, if we don’t score, to make sure that we score. If 30 corners are not enough I have to work with them so that we create 40 corner kicks.
“If all the balls through the box, if no one is at the end of the cross perhaps next time we’ll put them all up front. It’s up to training to work on our efficiency.”