With Cardiff City heading to Elland Road in impressive form, Leeds United will not be taking the threat of Omer Riza’s side lightly as Daniel Farke looks to avoid an untimely slip up in the Championship title race.
Yes, Leeds United are pretty imperious on home soil. Farke’s table-toppers have won 12 and lost just one of their 15 league matches this term at Elland Road.
As for Cardiff City, they have triumphed in just one of their 14 away games.
So the odds on a shock win for the visitors from South Wales are understandably longer than Peter Crouch’s bed covers. Yet, Cardiff are unbeaten in their eight matches since the end of December, knocking Sheffield United out of the FA Cup at Bramall Lane and picking up impressive points on the road against Middlesbrough and Watford.
And, speaking pre-match as Leeds host Cardiff looking to maintain their advantage at the summit, Bluebirds boss Omer Riza feels that the Yorkshire giants’ formidable home crowd may be as much of a curse as it is a gift provided Cardiff play their hand correctly.
Cardiff City boss explains how Leeds United upset could happen
“I think we’re in good shape,” Riza explains. “We’re coming into it off the back of eight games without losing and we’ve moved away from the area we don’t want to be in. Our performances have been OK, the boys are in a good place and we’ve brought in a few additions.
“I think we’re in the strongest position we can be in going into a game against Leeds. I say it all the time, but we have no other intention than to go there and get a result. That hasn’t changed.
“It’s going to be tough. They’re one of the best sides in the league, if not the best. We’ve got our challenges in front of us but, like with everything, we’ll strategise and we’ll make sure we do our due diligence in and out of possession.
“We’ll try and make sure we go there with a solid, disciplined mindset and I think we’ve got players that can hurt them if they make mistakes. That’s what we’ll be looking for,” Riza adds. “We know the crowd there as well. If they’re not happy with their own players, they can get on top of them. So that’s for Leeds to deal with.
“We just have to go there and work hard, like we have been, and try and get a result.”
“We’re on a good run, the boys are in a good place. We’re coming up against one of the best teams in the league, who can cause you a lot of problems. If you can do it against them, you can do it against anyone – that’s the mindset. That’s how we’ll be approaching the game.”
Daniel Farke’s Leeds are fast-starters in the Championship
When Leeds are on song, Elland Road is just about the most intimidating of grounds for opposition players. But should Cardiff score early, or frustrate the hosts until deep into the second half, frustration may set in.
And when it does, the nervousness on the terraces can often bleed onto the pitch.
Leeds have made a habit of flying out of the blocks this term, though, and should they repeat the trick on Saturday then Cardiff’s long run without a defeat will surely be over. Manor Solomon scored the quickest goal of 2024/25 when netting after around 30 seconds against Norwich City.
In total, Leeds have scored ten goals in the first 16 minutes of their home matches this term.
Daniel Farke confirms Patrick Bamford and Max Wober will be unavailable against Cardiff, though Pascal Struijk is stepping up his return after appearing on the training pitch this week.
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