Sheffield United and Burnley were also in action on Tuesday evening, 24 hours before Leeds United played Millwall.
Leeds United may have fallen from first place in the Championship, but there is no doubt that the evening was a triumph, with closest rivals Sheffield United and Burnley also surrendering points.
Daniel Farke’s team is not in action until Wednesday, when they host Millwall, so they had to watch their immediate promotion opponents play before them, just like they did on Saturday. However, neither Sheffield United nor Burnley were able to reproduce their weekend victories.
First, Sheffield United appeared to be on their way to a third consecutive victory when they went ahead 1-0 at home against Bristol City. Tyrese Campbell put the Blades ahead in the 61st minute, and it appeared they would cling on to take three points clear of Leeds at the top.
However, Chris Wilder’s side conceded in the 90th minute, resulting in a 1-1 tie. Mark Sykes saved the Robins by firing the ball low into the bottom corner. Despite being denied a key win in their promotion campaign, the Blades surged ahead of Leeds and now lead by one point.
Burnley, however, lost an opportunity to jump Leeds into second place by drawing 1-1 at home against West Brom. Scott Parker’s side fell behind in the 20th minute when John Swift scored for Albion, but the visitors’ lead was erased three minutes later when Zian Flemming hammered home.
Burnley pushed and probed in the second half, but were unable to produce a winner, resulting in a 1-1 stalemate. They were also given a major setback when CJ Egan-Riley was sent off in stoppage time, and the Clarets center-back is now slated to miss the following three games.
Leeds will now be trying to capitalize and return to the top of the Championship with a win over Millwall at Elland Road. The Whites have had a small dip in recent weeks, drawing against West Brom and losing at Portsmouth, but today is an excellent opportunity for them to recover.
During his pre-match press conference, manager Farke stated: “Our home games are essential.
“When I accepted the deal, one of my main goals was to turn Elland Road into a fortress. I believe we did last season, but also this season, and this is always the foundation for success.
“We need our followers, the best supporters in this league, the best supporters in the country, to return. And why wouldn’t everyone be excited?
“We had to deal with the sale of some of our most significant players, and after 36 games and 76 points, I’m not sure, but it’s probably the best result [at this time] in any season that we’ve played at Leeds United. We’re on top of the league. We have won a lot of points. We’re the best home team.”
