David Prutton has shared his prediction for Leeds United’s final day encounter with Southampton and whether it will be enough for the top two.
The Whites head into today’s match sat three points adrift of Ipswich Town in second place needing a miracle if they are to snatch that final automatic promotion spot.
Leeds will need to beat Southampton and hope Ipswich somehow lose for just the second time at home in the league all season against an all but mathematically relegated Huddersfield Town.
Given how unlikely that is, Leeds will certainly already have one eye on the play-offs meaning it is still important to return to winning ways and build some momentum after the 4-0 defeat at QPR.
Having said that, former Leeds defender Ben Parker still maintains hope of a top two finish, predicting a 3-0 win for Daniel Farke’s side this lunchtime.
Prutton predicts Leeds vs Southampton score
Leeds will be facing a Southampton side who themselves will be looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats ahead of the start of the play-offs.
With the two sides set to finish third and fourth respectively, there is actually a decent chance this could end up being a dress rehearsal for the play-off final, adding another layer of interest to today’s meeting.
Saints boss Russell Martin is unsure what sort of atmosphere to expect at Elland Road and speaking on the latest episode of the EFL Predictions Podcast, Prutton is equally unsure.
He is, however, backing Leeds to come away with all three points by the narrowest of margins, a result which still won’t be enough for second, in his eyes.
He said: “I’m intrigued to see what the atmosphere is like at Elland Road because, if Ipswich lose and Leeds win, that goal difference is what would take them up.
“It’s an unfortunate stumble at the most important time for Leeds. I think Leeds beat Southampton 1-0. At Portman Road, I’ll go Ipswich to beat Huddersfield 2-0.”
Predicted Leeds XI vs Southampton
It will be interesting to see how many changes Farke makes to his starting XI after last Friday’s dismal showing.
Given Leeds do still have faint hopes of second, Parker insists Farke simply has to name his strongest possible side, even if it does risk injury ahead of the play-offs.
Farke is not exactly spoilt for options with Dan James still out and both Patrick Bamford and Connor Roberts also not ready to start.
However, that should hand Mateo Joseph the chance to start up front, with Glen Kamara also coming into the midfield.