Leeds United travel to Deepdale on Boxing Day, where they will look to apply pressure on Ipswich and Leicester. This fixture has typically been decided by fine margins, with the last two meetings ending 1-1.
Preston
After an excellent start to the season, Preston have fallen off completely, and they’ve lost five of their last seven. This puts the Lilywhites in 13th after 23 matches, winning nine and losing nine. They’ve struggled at both ends of the field, but particularly at the back, where they’ve kept just three clean sheets all season.
They also only score 1.26 goals per game, which highlights their poor attack. This weekend’s game away to Swansea underlined their attacking struggles, as Preston lost 2-1 and failed to create any clear chances.
Leeds
Leeds have been fantastic since being relegated from the Premier League, and they’ve won 13 of their 23 matches so far, which puts them in third place. The Whites boast the second-best defence in the league, conceding just 22 while also scoring the third most, 41.
This weekend, they sent a statement to the rest of the Championship by beating second-place Ipswich 4-0. Daniel Farke’s side came out flying, and they were 3-0 up by the break. They nullified the Ipswich attack completely.
Verdict?
Preston are pretty average at home, as they’ve won five of their 11 matches while hosting. Leeds have the fourth-best away record in the league, and they look set to pick up their sixth victory in 12 games on Tuesday.
The final prediction is Preston 0-2 Leeds.
