Leeds United vs Sunderland tips and predictions: Visitors to provide stiff opposition at Elland Road
- George Dempsey
- 8 April 2024
Leeds United and Sunderland will clash in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Elland Road on Tuesday as the Championship promotion race hots up.
Leeds United are under huge pressure to bounce back with a win over Sunderland on Tuesday night as more dropped points could prove fatal.
The Whites were slow starters against Coventry at the weekend and were caught cold by a setpiece and a devastating counterattack.
Other than the opener, Daniel Farke’s side produced the three biggest chances of the game and a draw would have been fair, but Joel Piroe's shocking miss let Ipswich off the hook.
Sunderland responded to a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Blackburn with a clean sheet against Bristol City, but the Black Cats found no way through in a 0-0 draw.
The visitors have won just one of nine and will play Championship football again next season, so they’re a nice opponent on paper.
However, Jack Clarke’s return to the starting lineup added an extra spark and allowed Mike Dodds’ side to dominate the play, and Jobe Bellingham is enjoying a breakout season.
He netted the winner when Leeds were toppled in the reverse fixture and it’s worth noting they’ve caused the top teams problems this season.
As well as beating Leeds, Leicester scraped past them with a 1-0 win in both meetings, while second-half goals handed Ipswich a 2-1 win home and away.
On the other hand, Leeds are unbeaten at Elland Road, where they’ve won 16 of their last 17 matches, and have hammered better teams than Sunderland.
The concern for Farke’s side is after a historic defensive run, they’ve allowed five in three and more high-quality chances from open play.
The visitors have nothing to lose and we think the Whites will need to score at least twice to win this game.
Key stats
- Leeds have won 16 of their last 17 matches at Elland Road
- Leeds have averaged 2.75 goals per game at home
- All five of Sunderland’s matches with the top three have been settled by a single goal
- Sunderland have lost by two clear goals in three of 43 Championship away games since the start of last season
Suggested bets
Time of first goal: Under 30 minutes
