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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Dan Brown

Three pundits all predict different outcomes in Leeds vs Manchester United fixture

Manchester United will be looking to strengthen their grip on a top-four spot in the Premier League when they face Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds drew 2-2 with the Whites in the reverse fixture on Wednesday night, with Erik ten Hag's men coming from behind to earn a point thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

United currently find themselves in third position in the Premier League table and can move above Manchester City with a win at Leeds - even if just for a few hours. The Blues, who lead United by two points, play later on in the day against Aston Villa.

READ MORE: How Man United should line up against Leeds in Premier League fixture

Ten Hag will be without Anthony Martial, Antony, Scott McTominay and Casemiro for the game against managerless Leeds, while Christian Eriksen is out until late April with an ankle injury and Donny van de Beek is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.

Here are the pundits' predictions for the game.

Chris Sutton (BBC)

"I always felt Leeds United had a little bit about them, performance-wise, under Jesse Marsch, which is why I felt sorry for him when he was sacked this week. I didn't feel as if they would definitely get relegated under him, but five of the bottom six teams have now changed their manager this season and Leeds had not won a league game for a while.

"Caretaker boss Michael Skubala helped them get a point at Old Trafford on Wednesday but it's possible a new manager could be appointed before this game. I didn't expect them to get anything against Manchester United in midweek but they got off to an absolute flyer and were just about able to hang on for a draw at the end.

"It's very difficult to predict this game because there are so many unknowns - Wednesday night showed that anything could happen, and you could make a case for either side to win it whether Skubala is still in charge or not. I am going to go with Leeds, though. They have got some good players and they are going to have a day soon where they do more than just perform for patches of the 90 minutes.

"Their fans will make a difference too, because Elland Road will be absolutely bouncing. I guess we will probably see a fragile Leeds too at some point of the game, and I don't trust their backline so I think Manchester United will score - but the home crowd can help their team through it."

Sutton's prediction: Leeds 2-1 United

Paul Merson (Sportskeeda)

"Manchester United are missing their two best midfielders, and it showed against Leeds. Let's be honest - with the way they've been playing, they should've won quite comfortably. They would've won that game with Casemiro and Eriksen in the side.

"Man United have improved since Ronaldo's left, haven't they? The other players are starting to express themselves a lot more now. Rashford can't stop scoring. Bruno Fernandes looks like a different player now - I think he got dominated by Ronaldo. That might be an unfair thing to say, but it does look like that from the outside. Manchester United are not as inconsistent as they used to be, and that's why they are where they are in the Premier League table.

"Leeds secured a big point this week. I don't think you'll see Manchester United held to a draw again. I don't see them being like they were the other day. I'm quite confident that United will win this match. I expect them to bounce back and win this game easily."

Merson's prediction: Leeds 0-3 United

Mark Lawrenson (Paddy Power)

"To be 2-0 up at Old Trafford and only draw 2-2 with Manchester United on Wednesday would have hurt Leeds but if you’d have said to their fans before the game that they’d get a point they would have been happy. I was never Jesse Marsch’s biggest fan but I liked watching his team, which is a bit mad to say.

"If they had beaten Nottingham Forest last week, which they should have done, he’d probably still be in a job which is just how football goes. I think this will be another draw."

Lawrenson's prediction: Leeds 1-1 United

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