The Championship’s top two teams square off at Bramall Lane on Monday night, and Daniel Farke has reminded his Leeds United that they must be at “the top of their game” to defeat Sheffield United.
The Whites enter the match fresh off a thrilling comeback victory over Sunderland in their last game, when Pascal Strujik scored a goal in the 95th minute to secure a crucial three-point victory that saw them surpass the Blades once more and take the top spot in the standings.
To be the first team to defeat Chris Wilder’s team this season, they are aware of the task they have before of them in South Yorkshire.
In October, Sheffield United suffered their first loss of the season when Leeds defeated them 2-0 at Elland Road. Since then, though, the two have complemented one another almost exactly and have begun to pull away from Burnley and the Black Cats.
Daniel Farke exhorts his players to be confident going into their match against Sheffield United.
After defeating Derby County at home in December, the Whites have now gone 15 games without a loss in the Championship. After their encounter against the Blades, they will have faced all three of the teams vying for automatic promotion spots twice.
For those who are directly opposing Leeds, Monday’s game may therefore be essential in halting their momentum.
Farke has acknowledged the threat that Sheffield United poses, considering they have only lost twice at Bramall Lane this season.
| Sheffield United’s home record v Leeds United’s away record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Sheffield Utd home | Leeds Utd away |
| Matches | 16 | 16 |
| Wins | 12 | 7 |
| Draws | 2 | 7 |
| Losses | 2 | 2 |
| Goal difference | +14 | +12 |
| Points | 38 | 28 |
| *Stats correct as of 21/02/2025 | ||
“They are more or less on the same points as us,” the 48-year-old told reporters prior to the match. They are capable of winning a lot of close games, which is an indication of their ability to win. Chris has created a team that is very cohesive and consistently performs well.
“One of the hardest places to travel is Bramall Lane to play them away. The prospect of competing with them excites me. One of the most difficult tests we will encounter this season is this one. We are aware that in order to give ourselves a chance, we must perform at the highest level possible.
“We go there confident because we know we are in good shape,” Farke said at the end.
With a victory, Leeds United will make a significant advancement toward promotion.
Leeds knows that a win would give them a firm grip on the promotion race, but they cannot afford to be complacent despite the fact that they still have 12 games left after Monday.
They must take this attitude with them as they travel to Bramall Lane because Farke has fostered in his team an incredible never-say-die spirit that has been demonstrated on numerous occasions already this season.
The quality of Sheffield United’s squad is immense, and they have won games even when they haven’t played at their best.
Leeds must make sure they are not the target of this, as it is a quality of a really good team.
Despite not being a title decider, Monday will provide the winner a great deal of confidence going into the season’s last few months.
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