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Leeds United have been tipped to fall further behind in the race for the top two as another round of Championship fixtures quickly rolls around.
Leicester City will return to winning tactics when they take on Cardiff City in south Wales on Friday night. The match comes just 72 hours after the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town.
Enzo Maresca’s men were minutes away from extending their lead at the top of the table to nine points before a ruthless double deflection took them into the background. The result came after Leeds were overtaken in the table by Southampton in the race for the two. Turn on automatic heated.
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The gap between City and second-placed Ipswich remains six points, while they still have an 11-point lead over third-placed Southampton. Ahead of the match against Cardiff, City fans will most likely be keeping an eye on the early kick-off between Southampton and Plymouth.
Ahead of all of Friday’s games, Sky Sports EFL expert David Prutton has made his predictions. He believes that one in the race will lose points.
That’s the only word that can be used for Southampton’s 5-0 win over Swansea on Boxing Day. They’ve clicked in recent weeks and are starting to look like a genuine risk in the promotion race.
“Plymouth just can’t win. Even when they put in smart performances like the one in Cardiff where they drew 2-2, they still manage to shoot themselves in the foot. Knowing this league, a team without winning away from home all season may just arrive to St Mary’s and pick up points, but I think it’s a Saints win.
Prutton’s prediction: Southampton 3-1 Plymouth
“Cardiff will have been frustrated to beat Plymouth as they recovered from that early setback to take the lead. “They have been in very poor form of late.
Leicester were far from their most productive opponent against Ipswich on Boxing Day, however, they have such a big hole in the chasing group that they wouldn’t possibly worry at all. And they were still very close to winning. I think they’re going to have had enough until Friday night.
Prutton Prediction: Cardiff City 1-2 Leicester City
“Ipswich may have seen the gap close again from below, but the way they took a point off Leicester will feel like a win. They will be buzzing as they prepare for another big game at Portman Road.
“The QPR bubble would have possibly burst a little bit. Just one point from their last 3 games, all against groups they were hoping to win. There is still a hole in the sides in addition to the rear 3. And it can also be just getting bigger because Ipswich is expected to win.
Prutton Prediction: Ipswich 2-1 QPR
“West Brom are doing enough to stay in the top six at the moment, and with the two most sensible on the hill and away, that’s all they can do this season. They got a decent win against Norwich on Boxing Day, they probably deserved to have been more comfortable after the first red card.
“After all that brilliance against Ipswich, Leeds let it slip at Preston. It is so typical of this league and they have it all to do again. Score draw for me.”
Prutton Prediction: West Brom 1-1 Leeds
If Prutton’s predictions come true, it would mean City would lose their six-point gap to the second-placed side and, more importantly, their 11-point gap to the third-placed side. His prediction that Leeds would draw with West Brom would mean that the gap between City and Daniel Farke’s side would again accumulate 16 points.