Leeds United and Sheffield United’s upcoming Championship clash will have to be a tie where legends are made as the March 16 encounter will go a long way in deciding who earns automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The Whites currently have the edge after destroying Darren Moore’s plans on Friday night to record a resounding 4-0 win over West Brom, while the Blades could not return to the top two as the third-consecutive Steel City Derby ended in a drab and goalless draw.
Straight after the game, Leeds were on the mind of key Sheffield United ace Chris Basham, as well, even if the defender told The Star that he and the rest of the Blades squad were “focusing on ourselves”.
“We know that a point at Sheffield Wednesday is tough to come by – especially with the way they have been playing and the way the derby was,” Basham claimed.
“There was only going to be one goal in it. No-one is going to win every game. If they do, fair play to them – they deserve to go up. But I do not think everyone will.
“We have still got to go to Leeds yet and, hopefully, we can go there and beat them. We were all happy with the Leeds result at QPR [a 1-0 defeat]. It is just the way the games are going. Like the manager does, we are just focusing on ourselves.”
The fact that Basham is already thinking, and speaking, on Sheffield United’s upcoming trip to Elland Road just exemplifies the importance of the tie, and a home win for Marcelo Bielsa’s men will do more than stretch the Whites margin in the table.
The psychological advantage the three-points will give could derail Chris Wilder’s side and see the Bramall Lane outfit drop the ball and fall into the clutches of the Play-Offs. All the while we would be able to run the table and mount the pressure on Norwich for the Championship title.