Championship news: Oxford Utd vs Leeds Utd – Five key battles and score prediction
Friday night sees a Championship fixture with potential ramifications at both ends of the table as Oxford United host league leaders Leeds United at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford recently took a huge step towards safety by beating Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, with the three points pushing them up to 17th in the Championship standings and six points clear of the relegation zone.
Leeds, meanwhile, dominated Preston North End at Elland Road but only just got over the line in a tight 2-1 win, although Plymouth Argyle’s comeback victory over Sheffield United was the real triumph.
Sports News Blitz writer Samuel Leasley analyses five key battles on the pitch and offers a score prediction.
Gary Rowett vs Daniel Farke
Following a disappointing midweek display against relegation rivals QPR, Rowett’s side showcased their quality by edging a close encounter with Wednesday last weekend.
What is now a run of three wins in their last five has included impressive home victories over Watford and high-flying Sheffield United.
Interestingly, Rowett’s first game in charge of the U’s, in December of last year, actually came at Elland Road.
The hosts prevailed 4-0 on that occasion and Rowett will no doubt be looking for a staunch improvement this time around.
Farke’s side delivered a commanding performance against Preston, holding their nerve defensively to see out an incredibly valuable three points.
The Whites currently sit atop the Championship, separated from Burnley by goal difference but – far more importantly – with a five-point gap to Sheffield United in third place.
After a sticky patch of form, two wins in a row have taken Leeds back to the summit, and their pressing has played no small role in that improvement.
Leeds need to be careful, though, with games against relegation contenders Oxford, Stoke City, and Plymouth still to come plus a clash with play-off chasing Bristol City.
Sam Long vs Manor Solomon
Long’s first goal of the season secured a valuable three points at Wednesday following a trademark long throw-in routine.
His appearance at Hillsborough was his first start since the beginning of February, yet he was strong in the defensive line alongside his goalscoring exploits.
In just 16 starts this term, Long has already accumulated 16 tackles and 24 interceptions.
The full-back also maintains strong discipline in a side that often sits without the ball for extended periods, only giving away nine fouls in those 16 appearances.
On the other hand, Solomon’s Man of the Match performance against Preston saw him pick up both a stunning goal and an assist to put the promotion race back in the Whites’ hands.
The left winger now has 17 contributions for the season – eight goals and nine assists.
Together with Junior Firpo on the left flank, Solomon causes plenty of problems for opposition full-backs by cutting inside onto his right foot or driving to the byline to pull the ball back.
Solomon is a regular target too as he has won 39 fouls in only 26 starts.
Jamie Cumming vs Joel Piroe
One man who will take plenty of the plaudits should Oxford avoid relegation is goalkeeper Cumming.
He has prevented the third-most goals in the Championship this season, with 8.4 goals stopped, behind only Stoke’s Viktor Johansson and Burnley’s James Trafford.
Indeed, Oxford’s last three wins have all been by a 1-0 scoreline and Cumming was a major factor in each clean sheet.
The ‘keeper certainly has his work cut out for him on Friday in trying to stop the league’s top goalscorers, but he will take heart from having recently shut out Sheffield United.
In contrast, a player who has begun to attract more criticism of late is Leeds forward Piroe.
The Dutchman has not found the back of the net since February at Bramall Lane and missed numerous chances on Saturday that could have put the game against Preston to bed.
And with Patrick Bamford seemingly nearing full fitness, Piroe will need to be careful to not lose his spot in the squad and must prove that he can make the step up should promotion to the Premier League be secured.
That said, Piroe has scored 15 and assisted six in 32 starts this season, and he could spell trouble for the Oxford defence should he find his form again tonight.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Chelsea women keep quadruple dream alive with late FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool
Przemysław Płacheta vs Jayden Bogle
As Oxford will likely look to play on the counter, the pace of Płacheta could be a strong asset for creating chances.
In 24 starts, he has attempted 44 efforts on goal and always demonstrates a forward-thinking ability.
Should the Pole be instructed to sit deep, he does offer the ability to hold his own defensively, having made 87 recoveries in his limited appearances.
Additionally, Płacheta has racked up 17 tackles and 10 interceptions despite primarily sitting at the focal point of the U’s attack.
Bogle, it must be said, was back to his best against Preston on Saturday, netting the game’s winner and sending Leeds clear of his former club Sheffield United.
He simply didn’t stop running whilst on the pitch and took his goal tally to six for the season, the most in the squad outside of the regular front four.
The Englishman has furthermore been incredibly strong defensively, with 57 tackles made – the most at the club – alongside 33 interceptions.
Leeds’ right-back is regularly seen in conversation with the officials too, committing 52 fouls and winning 55 himself in his 40 appearances.
READ NEXT: Man City news: Midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne to leave Etihad this summer
Mark Harris vs Joe Rodon
Harris currently sits top of the goalscoring charts for Oxford with six goals, and his contributions have proven useful for accumulating points in recent weeks.
In March alone, Harris scored a crucial goal at Carrow Road to secure a 1-1 draw with Norwich City and provided the assist for Siriki Dembele’s winner against Watford.
By all accounts, he can be regarded as Oxford’s biggest attacking threat, with the Welshman creating 20 chances and taking a squad-high 19 shots on target so far this term.
He also regularly proves a nuisance for opposition centre-backs, giving away 44 fouls from an advanced position.
On Friday night, Harris will go up against Rodon, who had to be calmed down by Leeds club captain Ethan Ampadu following the news of Plymouth’s comeback.
Rodon has been ever-present at the heart of the Leeds defence this season and has been a huge factor in their accumulation of 22 clean sheets.
He has further provided 25 tackles and 24 interceptions.
Each of Leeds’ run-in opponents are yet to score against the Whites this campaign and Rodon will need to stay on top form to prevent any more ground being given up in the promotion race.
Summary
Oxford have proven a difficult side to beat lately and will definitely look to exploit Leeds’ set-piece weakness via their long throw-ins.
Leeds, for their part, will want to be more clinical than against Preston in order to maintain their lead at the top of the Championship and keep third-placed Sheffield United at bay.
This fixture has all the makings of a tight and tedious encounter, but I feel that the obvious improvements made in recent weeks will see Leeds over the line.
Score prediction: Oxford United 0-2 Leeds United
MORE FROM SAMUEL LEASLEY: Wrestling news: The top 10 heel turns in WWE history
