West Brom vs Leeds Championship predictions & stats: Promotion hopefuls looking to lay down an early marker
West Brom made a strong start in the first round of Championship fixtures, and they can make an even bigger statement by defeating Leeds.
The Baggies are eager to recover from last season’s playoff disappointment, and the same goes for Leeds, who lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Wembley final.
Three predictions for West Brom vs Leeds
West Brom 2-1 Leeds (10/11 with Midnite)
West Brom have won seven of their last 11 home games in the Championship, registering at least two goals in seven fixtures. They beat Leeds at home last season, and the Yorkshire club has lost two of its previous four Championship away games.
Josh Maja Anytime Goalscorer (41/20 with Midnite)
Josh Maja scored once in 198 minutes of football last season before registering an opening-day hat trick. He faces a Leeds side with defensive issues, as evidenced by the six goals conceded in their opening two matches. Furthermore, they conceded five shots against Portsmouth, three of which were taken and finished by their front two, while Josh Coburn and Delano Burgzorg managed four each for Middlesbrough in midweek.
Over 2.5 goals (5/6 with Midnite)
The last four combined matches featuring both sides that have been played in all competitions this season have produced more than 2.5 goals.
How both teams go into West Brom vs Leeds
West Brom delivered an impressive opening-round performance last weekend against Queens Park Rangers, securing a 3-1 victory at Loftus Road. However, their fortunes took a turn for the worse on Tuesday night, as Fleetwood Town knocked them out of the EFL Cup, resulting in the team focusing solely on their Championship campaign for the rest of the year.
The Baggies aim is to secure promotion to the Premier League after finishing in fifth place and experiencing playoff semi-final heartbreak last season. Their strong record at The Hawthorns, where they won 15 out of 23 Championship games in the previous season, was essential to their promotion push. Only Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Leeds collected more points at their respective home grounds last season.
West Brom were among the few teams to avoid defeat against Leeds last season, even managing a home win on December 29th with a first-half Grady Diangana strike securing all three points at The Hawthorns.
In the past week, there have been two matches at Elland Road where nine goals were scored, giving Leeds United supporters plenty of attacking action. However, their side has not yet secured their first win of the 2024/25 campaign.
Last Saturday, the Whites needed a 95th-minute equalizer from Brenden Aaronson to draw against newly promoted Portsmouth. Then, on Wednesday night, Daniel Farke’s men suffered a disappointing defeat to Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup.
Leeds couldn’t capitalise and breach Solomon Brynn’s goal despite having the most possession. In an exciting second half, Boro netted three times through Anfernee Dijksteel, Delano Burgzorg, and Josh Coburn.
Looking to secure their first win of the season, Leeds will travel to The Hawthorns hoping to continue their impressive away form from last season, when they earned 37 points from 23 Championship outings. Only the promoted trio of Leicester City (45), Ipswich Town (42), and Southampton (39) achieved a better tally.
West Brom vs Leeds on Saturday 17th August at 12:30pm at The Hawthorns.
West Brom team news
West Brom club captain Jed Wallace is currently recovering from a calf problem. It is expected that he will be available next month. Meanwhile, fellow attacker Diangana is also expected to return around the same time, with the DR Congo international last playing for the Baggies in the playoff semi-final second-leg defeat to Southampton in May. Following his hat trick last weekend, Josh Maja will continue to lead the Albion line. Unfortunately, injured player Daryl Dike will have to wait until the new year.
Leeds team news
Having shuffled his pack for the EFL Cup clash against Boro, Farke will welcome his first-team stars back into the starting XI on Saturday, including Pascal Struijk, Willy Gnonto, and Ilia Gruev. With Brighton & Hove Albion reportedly triggering his £40 million release clause, Georginio Rutter will likely have already played his final game for the Whites.
West Brom vs Leeds head-to-head
West Brom ended a six-game winless run against Leeds (four losses and two draws) last time out.
| West Brom vs Leeds H2H | |||||||
| Date | Score | Ground | |||||
| 29 Dec 2023 | West Brom 1-0 Leeds | The Hawthorns | |||||
| 18 Aug 2023 | Leeds 1-1 West Brom | Elland Road | |||||
| 23 May 2021 | Leeds 3-1 West Brom | Elland Road | |||||
| 29 Dec 2020 | West Brom 0-5 Leeds | The Hawthorns | |||||
| 01 Jan 2020 | West Brom 1-1 Leeds | The Hawthorns | |||||
| 01 Oct 2019 | Leeds 1-0 West Brom | Elland Road | |||||
How to watch West Brom vs Leeds live
West Brom vs Leeds will be available to watch on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, while Sky Go will host the action for those who aren’t able to watch from a TV.
