Both aiming to continue pleasing runs in their respective fights at opposite ends of the Championship table, Huddersfield Town and Leeds United will square off in a West Yorkshire Derby at the John Smith's Stadium.
The visitors currently sit second but only lead Ipswich Town on goal difference, while their hosts have a two-point lead over the relegation zone and made a winning start under new management last weekend.
Match preview
© Reuters
Huddersfield Town will return to the John Smith's Stadium in high spirits on Saturday, having strengthened their Championship survival bid in recent weeks including a victory in Andre Breitenreiter's first game at the helm last time out.
On Darren Moore's departure in late January, the Terriers sat 21st on 28 points from their first 29 outings, but they have been able to climb into a stronger position since, with caretaker boss Jon Worthington inspiring an upturn in form starting with a 4-0 thrashing of relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday on home turf.
A 5-3 defeat away at promotion-chasing Southampton followed, and the West Yorkshire outfit again bounced back with a 1-0 triumph at home to Sunderland thanks to Matty Pearson's goal, before they turned to Breitenreiter and saw Worthington's tenure end in an agonising 2-1 loss at home to Hull City, having drawn level in injury time through Jack Rudoni only for Jacob Greaves to restore the visitors' lead four minutes later.
Then seeking to return to winning ways and make a positive start to life under the German boss, the Terriers most recently faced another tough test away at Watford last time out, and they succeeded in doing so, making it three victories from a five-match span with a 2-1 triumph, having come from behind to take all three points as Danny Ward netted a brace in the final 20 minutes.
Now with spirits bound to be high in the camp having climbed to 19th spot and enjoyed a winning start at Vicarage Road, albeit with just a two-point lead over the drop zone with 12 league games to go, Huddersfield Town will now bid to continue their climb with a second straight three-point haul in Breitenreiter's first home game at the helm.
© Reuters
Their schedule certainly does not get any easier, though, as Leeds United make the short trip to the John Smith's Stadium aiming to continue their perfect league record in 2024 and strengthen their standing in the fight for automatic promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Following Daniel Farke's summer appointment, Saturday's visitors have laid a strong claim for a top-two finish on their return to England's second tier so far this term, having earned 72 points from their opening 34 outings, winning 22 of those while only suffering six defeats.
The last of those defeats came consecutively at the hands of Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion in late December, but the Whites have bounced back in eye-catching fashion since, recording nine straight three-point hauls while scoring 22 goals along the way and only conceding two to leapfrog Southampton and Ipswich Town in the top-two race.
Following 3-0 and 4-0 beatings of Rotherham United and Swansea City in mid-February, Farke's men have since extended their fine streak with a 2-0 victory away at Plymouth Argyle and a 3-1 comeback win at home to league leaders Leicester City last Friday, as Connor Roberts levelled the scores in the 80th minute and Archie Gray and Daniel James saw efforts go in off Wout Faes and Patrick Bamford respectively.
Now on the back of a FA Cup round-of-16 trip to Chelsea on Wednesday, in which they were only beaten by a Conor Gallagher winner in injury time after sitting level at two goals apiece thanks to Mateo Joseph's brace, Leeds United will turn their full focus back to the Championship and bid to strengthen their position in the top two with a 10th straight win to fend off Ipswich, who only trail on goal difference.
Team News
© Reuters
Andre Breitenreiter may opt to field an unchanged starting XI from their win away at Watford in his first game at the helm last weekend, with Michal Helik, Oliver Turton, Josh Ruffels, Jaheim Headley and Rhys Healey remaining sidelined by injuries, while key man Sorba Thomas also missed out last time out.
One possible alteration could be the introduction of Danny Ward up front from the start, however, after he netted both of their goals off the bench at Vicarage Road, with Delano Burgzorg and Josh Koroma having been preferred.
Ben Wiles will push to return from the outset in midfield, although the Terriers are more likely to stick with the trio of Jonathan Hogg, Jack Rudoni and Alex Matos, while Matty Pearson, Tom Lees and Yuta Nakayama are bound to line up in a back three in Helik's absence.
Daniel Farke rotated his Leeds United squad somewhat for their trip to Chelsea on Wednesday and will revert to a full-strength starting XI at the weekend, and while midfielder Ilia Gruev has joined Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas in the treatment room, key attackers Georginio Rutter, Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville are all set to be deemed fit to start after shaking off injury concerns.
In a 4-2-3-1 shape, they could all feature from the outset, with Bamford likely leading the line with support from Summerville, Rutter and either Willy Gnonto or Daniel James.
With Gruev set to miss out, Archie Gray should move forward and join Glen Kamara in the engine room, allowing Connor Roberts to come in on the right-hand side of the back four, with Welsh compatriots Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon set to continue their centre-back partnership.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Pearson, Lees, Nakayama; Kasumu, Matos, Hogg, Rudoni, Spencer; Burgzorg, Ward
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Roberts, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo; Gray, Kamara; James, Rutter, Summerville; Bamford
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-3 Leeds United
Given their recent form and the need for results to stay above the drop zone, Huddersfield Town are bound to make it tough for their West Yorkshire rivals on home turf, but Leeds should have too much quality for the Terriers, and we back Farke's free-scoring side to continue their winning run at the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
