Leeds can strengthen their grip at the top of the Championship with a narrow win at title rivals Burnley
Yesterday at 07:38 AM
There’s a long way to go before promotion to the Premier League is decided but the enthralling Championship encounter between pacesetters Burnley and Leeds at Turf Moor should give a massive clue as to which club is better placed to go up as title holders.
Sheffield United and Sunderland will, of course, have something to say about that with just four points covering the leading quartet before the Turf Moor showdown but the two protagonists taking centre stage on Monday night appear to be better placed to finish top of the heap.
On the face of it there should be a few goals in this compelling affair as Leeds have scored seven times in their last three league games with Burnley bagging five in last week's jolly-up at Plymouth.
But scratch beneath the surface and the Whites have conceded just 19 league goals in 28 outings this season, an impressive achievement cast deep into the shadows by Scott Parker's astonishing Clarets whose titanium-strong defence has been breached just nine times this term with only four goals yielded in home matches.
Burnley have kept clean sheet in 18 games, including the last six in the league, and have not been beaten in their last 16 in all competitions stretching back to a 1-0 reversal at Millwall at the beginning of November.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke's visitors are undefeated in 11 matches since the end of that month and have not allowed their opponents to score in six of their last eight outings, further underlining the case for goals to be at a premium when they cross the Pennines.
Burnley look tempting at 23/10 with William Hill, Paddy Power and Betfair to gain the maximum points needed to go top while the draw at 11/5 with Coral and Betfred may also appeal but current leaders Leeds have developed the knack of getting the job done no matter what and are the selection at 11/8 with Hills.
Former Fulham attacker Manor Solomon, on loan from Tottenham, has scored the first goal of the game in his last two outings to set up home victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich and he is 11/1 to break the deadlock with Sky Bet, who go 5/1 he gets his name on the scoreboard at any time.
With goals expected to be in short supply let's take the 7/4 offered by Paddy Power that there are under 1.5 in the game and the 11/2 with the same firm, Hills, Betfair and SpreadEx on a 1-0 away win.
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