Match Pack: Watford v Leeds United

• Watford v Leeds United
• Sky Bet Championship
• Vicarage Road
• Friday March 29, 8pm KO
• Yellow and black home kit

• Referee: David Webb
• Assistant Referees: Rob Smith and Bhupinder Singh Gill
• Fourth Official: Ben Toner

An incredible recent run for Leeds United means Daniel Farke's side went top of the Sky Bet Championship after the last round of fixtures, putting themselves in the driving seat for an immediate return to the top-flight.

The idea that Leeds could topple high-flying Leicester City at the top of the league had seemed impossible, given at the start of the year the Foxes were 17 points clear of the Whites.

However, a 13-game unbeaten start to 2024, including 12 wins, saw the Elland Road outfit move up from fourth in the table to top on goal difference with eight games of the season remaining.

Every point matters at this stage in the race for automatic promotion. Leeds are level on points with Leicester, albeit with a superior goal difference, but just one point above Ipswich Town in third, meaning it is still all to play for at this point.

• Watford have lost just one of their last five Championship games against Leeds (W3 D1), though they did lose the most recent match 3-0 in the reverse fixture in September.

• Leeds are unbeaten in their last 13 league games (W12 D1); not since December 1993 have they enjoyed a longer unbeaten run in the top two tiers of English football (14 games).

• The side also boast the strongest defence in the Championship, conceding the least goals out of the 24 teams (28), as well as facing the least shots (361).

Click HERE for a full statistical breakdown.

Interim Head Coach Tom Cleverley is hopeful about the involvement of Ryan Andrews and Jamal Lewis after both had to return from international duty early due to injury.

"Lewis went for a scan the evening after he was ruled out of the Birmingham game, the scan result ruled him out of going away with Northern Ireland," Cleverley said. "We’re hopeful he’ll be part of the Easter period.

"Ryan Andrews went with England Under-20s and got a dead leg while he was there.

"I spoke to the Head Coach Ben Futcher who said Ryan wouldn’t be available for their first match so it was probably best that he went back to the club. He’s re-joined the group to train."

James Morris experienced some tightness in the week, but he is expected to recover in time, while Ken Sema and Jeremy Ngakia remain the two mid-term absentees.

For Leeds, several of their players who featured for their countries over the international break are now injury doubts for this clash.

Connor Roberts, Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev all reported issues upon their return.

Farke is hopeful about the fitness of key man Georginio Rutter after the player had a small surgical procedure during the break, and is optimistic he will be able to feature in some way.

Pascal Struijk and Darko Gyabi have both undergone groin surgery, and will not be available.

Tom Cleverley, Watford Interim Head Coach:

They are a fantastic team. Two points a game usually gets you promoted in this division and this year there are four teams with that record.

We have to respect the challenge ahead. We’ve put a lot of work into being prepared for it and I’m sure it will be a special evening under the lights on Good Friday.

They are top of the league for a reason. And it’s a very strong season at the top of the Championship. I think any other year they would be comfortably promoted by now.

To find their weaknesses is going to be difficult but we believe we can exploit certain areas to win the game.

Daniel Farke, Leeds United Manager:

[Watford are] a club with ambition. They’ve got lots of potential, experienced, physical and quality players.

Once a new manager comes in, it’s a new start, everyone can impress, and it was an important win for them in their last game. They’ll be motivated.

Overall:

Won: 11
Drawn: 6
Lost: 11

Last Six:

September 2023: Leeds United 3-0 Watford (Championship)
April 2022: Watford 0-3 Leeds United (Premier League)
October 2021: Leeds United 1-0 Watford (Premier League)
February 2016: Watford 1-0 Leeds United (FA Cup)
February 2015: Leeds United 2-3 Watford (Championship)
August 2014: Watford 4-1 Leeds United (Championship)

The Hornets continued their strong start to the 2014/15 campaign with a dominant victory over a Leeds United side that would end the game with nine men. Fernando Forestieri grabbed a brace and set up a third, with Troy Deeney and Dániel Tőzsér also on the scoresheet.