I helped end Leeds United’s two Championship dreams, but I’m backing the Whites for promotion

In their quest to win automatic promotion to the Premier League, Leeds United have built a formidable record at Elland Road. Rarely breached in defence, Daniel Farke’s men looked set to go all season unbeaten at home as they used the Elland Road factor to propel their promotion ambitions.

That unbeaten run came to an end in the penultimate home game of the regular season as Blackburn Rovers stunned the Whites in a 1-0 victory, badly damaging Leeds’ promotion ambitions and putting Ipswich Town and Leicester City in a commanding position which he would not give up.

The villain of the game on the day was Blackburn’s ace goalscorer Sammie Szmodics, who found the back of the net in the 82nd minute to level the game, much to the frustration and despair of the Elland Road crowd. Almost a month to the day since that defeat, Leeds begin the next phase of their promotion push with a play-off semi-final first leg at Norwich City tomorrow lunchtime.

Read more: ‘I’d rather stay in the Championship’ – Farke dismisses Wagner’s Leeds United mind games

Neither team enters the play-offs in any notable form, with Norwich slightly better with two wins in their last six games than Leeds, but the Whites are backed to go all the way by the man who played a role so important in ending the dream of automatic promotion.

Speaking on the latest episode of the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Szmodics said that after playing the four play-off sides twice this season, he believes Leeds have to be favorites to win promotion in the Premier League.

He said: “I should go, just because I played against them, Leeds. Elland Road, a tough place to go, but not for Blackburn actually! We went there and beat them, but the players they have and the squad they have I think they will.”