By Rob Bagchi
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of Leeds United’s Championship match against Hull City, one in which the home side will be striving to extend their unbeaten run in the league to 15 in 2024 and also, if they’re lucky, score for a 19th successive league match for the first time since 1970. Leeds scrambled a point from Friday night’s match against Watford, a match in which injuries picked up during the international fortnight persuaded Daniel Farke to break up his central defensive partnership of Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon, playing the former in midfield. It wasn’t until he restored it, after Leeds had conceded their first goals from open play all year in the league, that they began to get a grip and grabbed the 85th-minute equaliser and even created a chance that, but for a fine Daniel Bachmann save, might have clinched all three points, however undeservedly.
One would expect Farke to revert today and, if Ilia Gruev is still not fit enough to return in his screening role, come up with an alternative in central midfield rather than at the back, which may mean Archie Gray switching from right-back as he did for the last half hour at Vicarage Road. This is being written before the Ipswich-Southampton game but, after Leicester’s fine comeback against Norwich, a 16th home win of the season, by hook or by crook, is imperative with only six games to go after today.
As for Hull, who have won nine of 18 and put a dent in Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion hopes in his first season as manager with a 2-0 victory at Elland Road, they have gone off the boil at the worst possible time with four draws and Friday’s home defeat by Stoke in their past five matches accelerating their slide out of the play-off places. They have, however, won three of their four away games against fellow teams from the old Three Ridings and have talent to burn, especially in Fabio Carvalho and Anass Zaroury. Liam Delap, though, has been a big loss and it’s touch and go whether he will be back before the end of the season from his knee injury to bolster their chances of a top six finish.