The Whites of Marcelo Bielsa host Dean Smith’s Villans at Elland Road in the Championship on Sunday.
Lee Hendrie has piled the praise on Leeds United ahead of their Championship crunch clash against Aston Villa – his former club – on Sunday.
The ex claret-and-blue ace was at Villa Park for the reverse fixture back in December, when the Whites ran out 3-2 winners over Dean Smith’s side.
Leeds went top of the table after that victory, while Villa were 11th in the standings (BBC Sport), but four months on, Dean Smith’s charges are a different beast.
The West Midlanders are currently in the midst of a 10-match winning streak, while the Elland Road side have stumbled in several games and are now third.
Nonetheless, Hendrie told Noel Whelan on BBC Radio Leeds (Friday, 6pm) that he was impressed with what he had seen from Marcelo Bielsa’s side at B6 just before Christmas.
“Leeds have been one of my favourites this season the way they play football,” said Hendrie. “They were a joy to watch at Villa Park and they just seemed to fall away at the vital part of the season.”
The 41-year-old agreed that, based on form, Villa are currently deemed favourites to successfully navigate the playoffs, but he is also aware that it doesn’t necessarily work that way and that it’s always a bit of a lottery.
That said, with Fulham having gone on a superb winning form which did culminate in success at Wembley, Hendrie acknowledged that it can be more clear-cut at times, but he went on to stress that every team will have a chance.
“Favourites in the playoffs? Looking at the form then yes, but listen – we’re talking about the Championship,” added Hendrie.
“Fulham did it last year, they had a brilliant run and all the momentum going into the playoffs, but the teams that are in and around there… Leeds, West Brom, potentially they’re all Premier League clubs.”
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