Leeds United v Swansea
Wednesday 13th February 1945hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Marathon Bet
Odds: 117/100 (odds taken 18.40 GMT, Tuesday 12th February)
Second placed Leeds will be looking to keep the pressure on leaders Norwich when they go face to face at Elland Road with a Swansea team who are in danger of falling behind in their quest to finish in the top six.
Championship Betting at Marathon Bet
Leeds United Preview
They have had to wait until the 10th minute of injury time to get the goal, but it remains to be seen just how crucial Kalvin Phillips’ first goal of the season proves to be. For the time being it keeps Marcelo Bielsa’s men in second spot and just a couple of points behind Norwich who face a tricky away game against Preston on the same evening. Whilst winning the league would be a dream outcome in the Chilean’s first season, winning promotion is the ultimate aim and they remain on course to do just that. It has been a challenging period, though, with just two wins in their last seven games – losing four of them. The club’s supporters may be disappointed with their points return in recent weeks but due to the competitiveness of this league it was inevitable that they would come unstuck at some point and the challenge of good teams is always how they will respond. There’s no questioning this Leeds team have plenty of fight as they have proven throughout this season, most recently going to the very end to gain a point at a difficult venue on Saturday.
Swansea Preview
Things were looking pretty positive for Graham Potter and his Swansea team as they looked to close in on a win at home to Birmingham a couple of weeks ago that would have seen them continue their surge up the table. That game was completely turned on it’s head and the Welsh club had to settle for a draw before losing to an in-form Bristol City in their following league game. The area directly below the playoff positions is so compact that a couple of games without victory can make it very difficult to keep tabs with the sides above them so Potter would have been delighted with his team’s narrow 1-0 win over Millwall on Saturday. The Swans are now six points adrift of Derby in sixth spot and have also played a game more so it makes their trip to Elland Road all that more important as they continue their efforts to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Key-Facts – Leeds United v Swansea
- Leeds could return to the top of the table with a win and if Norwich lose on Wednesday
- The hosts have the second best home defensive record in the league after Middlesbrough
- Honours were even when these teams last met in the league back in August
Leeds United v Swansea Betting Preview
Leeds have been one of the stories of the Championship season and they are still well placed to ensure that story has the happiest of endings, for them at least. Recent struggles have been offset with teams below them being unable to take full advantage and Bielsa will be looking for his own players to get back on track with all three points against Swansea. For the visitors it’s all about trying to pick up as many points as possible in their attempt to sneak into that top six but unlike the automatic promotion spots, teams in the hunt for the playoffs are hitting form and the Swans will be desperate to keep pace with them.
Only Norwich have won more home points than Leeds this season and Middlesbrough are the only club who have conceded fewer home goals. Swansea have had a mixed time of it on their travels, but they have a set way of playing on the road and it tends to lead to low-scoring matches. Seven of their last 13 away games in the league have went under 2.5 goals whilst seven of Leeds’ last 10 home league games have also went under.
