EFL Championship leaders Leeds United will be keen to hold onto the top spot when they take on Watford on Friday.

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Championship leaders Leeds United will be keen to retain their spot at the summit when they travel to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Good Friday.

Daniel Farke’s men have done well to claw the gap on Leicester City, now sitting pretty at the top of the English second tier. However, the Foxes, who only trail on goal difference, have a game in hand, meaning Leeds cannot as yet rest on their laurels.

Watford, on the other hand, are floundering in mid-table, closer to the relegation zone than the playoff spots. Having won just one of their last five league games, they now face a Leeds outfit brimming with intent and confidence.

While home comforts usually are something to fall back on, Watford are winless in their own backyard in the league since November 2023, a run of nine games without a victory. While the win over Birmingham City last time out will give them confidence, Leeds represent an altogether different challenge.

Tom Cleverley got his managerial stint off to an imperious start at St. Andrews. But Farke is a master of the game, especially when it comes to taking Championship sides to the top flight. To claim that the Whites go into the clash as favourites would be an understatement.

Leeds also arrive having conceded just once in their last six away games in the Championship. Anything less than a convincing victory for the visitors on the night will come as a surprise. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.

Team News & Tactics

Watford

The Hornets have seen their form fall away over the past few months, especially at home. Vicarage Road, once a fortress is yet to see the home side pick up three points since November 2023. Valerien Ismael became the latest casualty of the Hornets’ trigger-happy owners with Tom Cleverley now taking charge.

The former Manchester United man got off to a brilliant start with the win over Birmingham City but there are far tougher tests yet to come, few harder than Leeds. Watford will, however, have to do so without Wesley Hoedt, who is suspended and the injured duo of Kwadwo Baah and Jeremy Ngakia.

Ken Sema is a doubt for the game but Jamal Lewis and Ryan Adrews will be expected to make the cut after pulling out of international duty thanks to injuries. The Hornets are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 setup, with Daniel Bachmann in goal. He should be protected by the backline of Ryan Andrews, Ryan Porteous, Mattie Pollock, and James Morris.

Edo Kayembe and Tom Dele-Bashiru should form the double pivot with the trio of Yaser Asprilla, Ismael Kone and Giorgi Chakvetadze providing the attacking trust. Emmanuel Dennis was the hero against Birmingham and will lead the line once again on the night.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bachmann; Andrews, Porteous, Pollock, Morris; Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru; Asprilla, Kone, Chakvetadze; Dennis

Watford vs Leeds United: Preview and Prediction.

Leeds United

Daniel Farke’s men have been sensational this year and are in current form, the team to beat in the second tier of English football. Given that Leicester City have a game in hand, Leeds will be keen to put the points on the board and to give away any breathing space for the chasing pack.

Connor Roberts went down in pain during the international break, while Junior Firpo might not return in time to be relied upon from the start. However, Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas are yet to recover from their knocks and are definitely ruled out for the game.

Daniel James will be still smarting thanks to his penalty miss against Poland, something that saw Wales’s hopes of qualification for the Euros go up in smoke. Whether Farke is willing to put the winger right back into his starting XI remains to be seen.

The biggest miss is likely to be Georginio Rutter who is still recovering from a hernia surgery. As Leeds’s most potent creator this season, the Frenchman will be missed.

Leeds are expected to retain their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Illan Meslier in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Archie Gray, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, and Sam Byram. The quartet should be protected by the double pivot of Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara.

The in-form Wilfried Gnonto should start on the right wing with Crysencio Summerville occupying the other flank. Joel Piroe should return to the number 10 role, with Patrick Bamford leading the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Gray, Ampadu, Rodon, Byram; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Piroe, Summerville; Bamford

Watford vs Leeds United: Preview and Prediction.

Key Stats

Watford are currently on a three-game losing streak to Leeds United in the League, failing to score in any of the three fixtures.

Leeds have defeated Watford five times at Vicarage Road, each time both clubs had different managers.

A loss on the night will see Leeds suffer Good Friday losses in consecutive years for the first time since 1989.

This is Leeds United’s first game on Good Friday since 2019.

A win on the night will see Watford win consecutive Championship games for the first time in 2024.

Watford have not won a league game at home since November 2023.

Player to Watch

Wilfried Gnonto

Embed from Getty Images

The first half of the season saw the Italian in the news for all the wrong reasons, and his future at the club is still far from certain. But Gnonto has since the new year shown what the fuss is all about and proven on the pitch that he is the real deal.

With six goals and one assist in the last nine league games, Gnonto is in good form. This is all the more key given that Leeds should be without Georginio Rutter, while Daniel James is also not in the best of mindsets following his penalty miss for Wales. Should the Italian turn up on the night, Watford could be in for a difficult night.

Prediction

Watford 1-3 Leeds United

While Watford will be buoyed by their win over Birmingham, Leeds United have the edge when it comes to tactics, squad quality and also depth. Daniel Farke and Co. will be keen to keep their good run going and hold the edge over Leicester City in the final run this season. The Hard Tackle predicts a comfortable 3-1 win for the visitors, solidifying their hold on the top spot in the EFL Championship.Match Info

Watford v Leeds United

Sky Bet Championship

Vicarage Road

Friday March 29, 8pm KO

Yellow and black home kit

Officials

Referee: David Webb

Assistant Referees: Rob Smith and Bhupinder Singh Gill

Fourth Official: Ben Toner

Opposition

An incredible recent run for Leeds United means Daniel Farke's side went top of the Sky Bet Championship after the last round of fixtures, putting themselves in the driving seat for an immediate return to the top-flight.

The idea that Leeds could topple high-flying Leicester City at the top of the league had seemed impossible, given at the start of the year the Foxes were 17 points clear of the Whites.

However, a 13-game unbeaten start to 2024, including 12 wins, saw the Elland Road outfit move up from fourth in the table to top on goal difference with eight games of the season remaining.

Every point matters at this stage in the race for automatic promotion. Leeds are level on points with Leicester, albeit with a superior goal difference, but just one point above Ipswich Town in third, meaning it is still all to play for at this point.

Stats Buzz

Watford have lost just one of their last five Championship games against Leeds (W3 D1), though they did lose the most recent match 3-0 in the reverse fixture in September.

Leeds are unbeaten in their last 13 league games (W12 D1); not since December 1993 have they enjoyed a longer unbeaten run in the top two tiers of English football (14 games).

The side also boast the strongest defence in the Championship, conceding the least goals out of the 24 teams (28), as well as facing the least shots (361).

Click HERE for a full statistical breakdown.

Team News

Interim Head Coach Tom Cleverley is hopeful about the involvement of Ryan Andrews and Jamal Lewis after both had to return from international duty early due to injury.

"Lewis went for a scan the evening after he was ruled out of the Birmingham game, the scan result ruled him out of going away with Northern Ireland," Cleverley said. "We’re hopeful he’ll be part of the Easter period.

"Ryan Andrews went with England Under-20s and got a dead leg while he was there.

"I spoke to the Head Coach Ben Futcher who said Ryan wouldn’t be available for their first match so it was probably best that he went back to the club. He’s re-joined the group to train."

James Morris experienced some tightness in the week, but he is expected to recover in time, while Ken Sema and Jeremy Ngakia remain the two mid-term absentees.

For Leeds, several of their players who featured for their countries over the international break are now injury doubts for this clash.

Connor Roberts, Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev all reported issues upon their return.

Farke is hopeful about the fitness of key man Georginio Rutter after the player had a small surgical procedure during the break, and is optimistic he will be able to feature in some way.

Pascal Struijk and Darko Gyabi have both undergone groin surgery, and will not be available.

What Are They Saying?

Tom Cleverley, Watford Interim Head Coach:

They are a fantastic team. Two points a game usually gets you promoted in this division and this year there are four teams with that record.

We have to respect the challenge ahead. We’ve put a lot of work into being prepared for it and I’m sure it will be a special evening under the lights on Good Friday.

They are top of the league for a reason. And it’s a very strong season at the top of the Championship. I think any other year they would be comfortably promoted by now.

To find their weaknesses is going to be difficult but we believe we can exploit certain areas to win the game.

Daniel Farke, Leeds United Manager:

[Watford are] a club with ambition. They’ve got lots of potential, experienced, physical and quality players.

Once a new manager comes in, it’s a new start, everyone can impress, and it was an important win for them in their last game. They’ll be motivated.

Head-to-Head

Overall:

Won: 11

Drawn: 6

Lost: 11

Last Six:

September 2023: Leeds United 3-0 Watford (Championship)

April 2022: Watford 0-3 Leeds United (Premier League)

October 2021: Leeds United 1-0 Watford (Premier League)

February 2016: Watford 1-0 Leeds United (FA Cup)

February 2015: Leeds United 2-3 Watford (Championship)

August 2014: Watford 4-1 Leeds United (Championship)

Golden Flashback

The Hornets continued their strong start to the 2014/15 campaign with a dominant victory over a Leeds United side that would end the game with nine men. Fernando Forestieri grabbed a brace and set up a third, with Troy Deeney and Dániel Tőzsér also on the scoresheet.

Follow Live!

Domestic and overseas supporters can access live coverage of Watford v Leeds United, via the Hornets’ Hive Live streaming service.

Click HERE for more information on how to follow the game.