Leeds United will be hoping for a new manager bounce when they host Southampton in a relegation six-pointer on Saturday. Both teams occupy the last two spots on the table and are separated by just a point.
Leeds United finally have a manager after appointing former Watford gaffer Javi Gracia as new boss. With the hosts sitting second bottom, two points from safety, the Spaniard’s task is simply to mastermind a recovery and ease the team away from the relegation zone.
Gracia will have his work cut out as Leeds United's last Premier League win was back in November. They have now gone 10 matches without a win and were beaten 1-0 by Everton in their previous fixture.
A small positive for Leeds United is that that have shown some flashes of quality in recent weeks, particularly the 2-2 draw at Manchester United. They are also unbeaten in three of their last four home matches across all competitions, although two of those matches have ended in draws.
Southampton have appointed stand-in manager Ruben Selles as their new permanent boss till the end of the season. They showed some fight in their previous Premier League fixture as James Ward-Prowse's stunning first half free-kick earned them a 1-0 victory at Chelsea.
It was a vital win for Southampton, who had lost their previous three matches and remain rooted to the foot of the table. They are now just three points from safety and will be keen to build on that performance and climb their way out of the relegation zone.
The win at Chelsea is also the latest in a string of impressive away results for Southampton in recent weeks. They have won three of their last five away matches, with victories over Crystal Palace and Everton among their results in that run.
How the bookies view it
Leeds United have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at evens with bet365. A victory for Southampton is valued at 14/5 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Leeds United have a 33-20 advantage with 13 draws from 66 previous matches against Southampton. The last two meetings have ended in draws, including a 2-2 scoreline in the reverse fixture back in August.
Players to watch
Wilfried Gnonto’s pace and trickery on the wings makes him a dangerous customer and could be worth keeping an eye on for Leeds United. The attacker was on target in the draw with Manchester United and is priced at 3/1 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Saturday.
Southampton are a threat from set pieces, particularly with James Ward-Prowse, who showed his prowess once again with the stunning effort at Chelsea. The midfielder is the leading scorer for the Saints with six goals and is priced at 21/4 by Unibet to find the net on Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
The reverse fixture produced over 3.5 goals which is priced at 27/10 by SBK. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 42/41 by SBK while Unibet is offering odds of 22/25 on both teams to score.
All four goals in the reverse fixture came after the break, so the second half could be tipped as the highest scoring half at 11/10 with Paddy Power. Both teams could also be backed to score in the second half at 12/5 with William Hill.
This English Premier League match between Leeds United and Southampton will be played on Feb 25, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Leeds United vs Southampton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
