Leeds United vs Birmingham City Prediction: Leeds coming after back-to-back defeats

Leeds United will welcome Birmingham City at Elland Road in Game Week 26 of the English Championship. Leeds need to pick themselves up after back-to-back losses in the Championship. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Leeds United form

Leeds United experienced back-to-back defeats in the Championship for the first time under Daniel Farke's leadership at Elland Road. Their lacklustre performance against West Bromwich Albion resulted in Carlos Corberan's team closing the gap on their fourth-placed opponents with a victory. Despite having a formidable attacking quartet with a combined total of 42 goal contributions this season, Leeds failed to test Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer. On the other end of the pitch, a stellar display from Jed Wallace and John Swift helped Grady Diangana secure the winning goal in the first half. This win brought West Bromwich Albion closer to Leeds in the Championship standings at the end of 2023. After only managing one win in their past five matches, Farke's team will be relieved to play at Elland Road, where they have been unbeaten and created positive memories. In their most recent game in Yorkshire, they secured an impressive 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town, with goals from Joel Piroe and Crysencio Summerville. Leeds has only accumulated four points in their last five Championship matches, placing them behind leaders Southampton, who are on a 17-game unbeaten streak. As hosts on Monday, Leeds is currently nine points away from automatic promotion, as they prepare to face Birmingham. Over the past few years, this fixture has had some standout performers. Jude Bellingham scored in a thrilling nine-goal encounter between the two teams in December 2019, while Kalvin Phillips scored the only goal in their last meeting at Elland Road, during the season when Leeds secured their return to the top flight after almost two decades.

Leeds United Predicted Lineup

Darlow; Gray, Rodon, Cooper, Spence; Kamara, Ampadu, James, Piroe, Summerville; Rutter

Birmingham City form

The debut of 17-year-old Romelle Donovan did not contribute to Birmingham City's success under the management of Rooney as they faced Bristol City in a dull goalless draw. Despite Bristol City having majority possession, they failed to pose a threat to Birmingham's goalkeeper, John Ruddy. Although the clean sheet is a positive outcome after conceding goals in previous matches, Birmingham's lack of attacking strength frustrated their fans. Rumours of Birmingham targeting former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper suggest that Rooney's job may be in jeopardy, especially considering the team's current standing in the Championship. Additionally, Fulham is considering recalling striker Jay Stansfield, who has had a successful stint with Birmingham, attracting interest from Ipswich and Sunderland. With only two wins in 14 matches, Birmingham's position in the Championship has drastically declined. They currently sit in 20th place, with QPR occupying the highest relegation place.

Birmingham City Predicted Lineup

Ruddy; Drameh, Aiwu, Sanderson, Longelo; Sunjic, James, Bacuna, Miyoshi, Dembele, Stansfield

Leeds United vs Birmingham City Expert Tips

Leeds has not met their usual standards in their previous two matches. However, with the arrival of Birmingham, a team that typically struggles when playing on Elland Road, Leeds has a good opportunity to return to their winning ways. Birmingham managed to keep a clean sheet during their last game, resulting in a lacklustre draw. Nonetheless, Rooney's team will now face a much stronger offensive lineup when they go up against Yorkshire on Monday.