Leeds United dropped out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship recently following a heavy 3-1 loss at home to promotion rivals, Norwich City, along with a point away at Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, and although they recorded a 2-1 home win over Swansea City last time out at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in danger of missing out on an automatic promotion spot.
The hosts have been edged out by Yorkshire rivals, Sheffield United into second spot albeit on goal difference, but they play host to Championship strugglers, Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, so this has now become a ‘must win’ situation for the home side.
This may be all well and good in normal circumstances, but the stakes are increasing each time on home turf as the season approaches the ‘pointy end’ and along with just three wins from their last eight matches overall, Leeds have managed three wins from their last five at Elland Road.
But while the hosts may be wobbling, the goals have continued to flow in recent times as four of their last six matches on home turf have seen over 2.5 goals scored, and with the likes of midfielders Hernandez and Klich (7 goals apiece) along with forwards Roofe (14 goals) and Alioski (5 goals) in Leeds’s attacking armoury, the hosts should notch again here.
Bolton Wanderers sit second from bottom in the Championship but having recently registered a much needed 1-0 win away at Birmingham City, The Trotters will have been boosted by that result and may well sense an opportunity against a Leeds outfit who are under pressure from their fans to get a result at Elland Road this Saturday.
Although Bolton promptly lost their next match 4-0 at home to Championship league leaders, Norwich City, the visitors know that another three points here could see them move level on points with Reading, and Bolton aren’t without goal threats of their own either.
Forward Magennis is supported by goalscoring midfielders Buckley and Ameobi and another shock result might just be on the cards here.
It’s obviously true that Leeds United should win this match comfortably, but both teams will head into this encounter needing all three points in order to boost their respective promotion and relegation battles at either end of the Championship, so this could be conducive to a few goals here and covering the over 2.5 goals mark.