Leeds United now look like needing to achieve promotion through the play-offs
Leeds United’s chances of automatic promotion are not over, but with a 4-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers they don’t have much life left in them. If Daniel Farke’s side is to win the second automatic promotion spot with Champions-elect Leicester City, they will need Ipswich Town to make a significant mistake.
Ipswich play twice before Leeds return to play their final game of the season at home to Southampton next Saturday, and all eyes will be on how the Tractor Boys fare, beginning with their challenging journey to Hull City this evening. While there is still some optimism, the Whites are most certainly headed to the play-offs.
So, with that in mind, here’s the road Leeds appears to be on to reach the Premier League, complete with all of the dates for the three additional games that may be required.
The playoffs begin on Sunday, May 12, eight days after the season ends, which is a much longer break than we are accustomed to seeing. The first legs of the semi-finals will be played again on Sunday, with sixth place hosting third. If Leeds miss out on the top two, third place is almost inevitable given their vastly better goal difference versus Southampton.
That means Norwich City will most likely host Leeds in the inaugural game, with the Whites scheduled to start off at 12:00pm on May 12th, whether at Norwich, West Brom, or Hull City. The second leg will be played on Thursday, May 16, at Elland Road, with a kickoff at 8pm. The other play-off semi-final will take place the following night, giving Leeds an extra day to prepare for Wembley if they advance.
If Leeds make it to the play-off final, they will have 10 days to prepare for the game, which will be played on Sunday, May 26, at 4:30pm. The game will be played the day after the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United, so travel the day before the match may be affected.
