Leeds United are sitting top of the Championship table after seven games.
BBC Sport pundit Robbie Savage has backed Leeds United to beat Derby County on Saturday and admitted that he would not have made such a prediction last season.
The former midfielder stated that with no Frank Lampard, Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, the Rams are much weaker and with Marcelo Bielsa having a pre-season under his belt with Leeds, it makes them stronger.
The Whites go into the weekend fixture on the back of a 2-0 win against Barnsley as they currently sit top of the Championship table after seven matches.
Speaking on BBC 606 (15/09/2019 at 7:30 pm), Savage backed Bielsa’s men to continue their ways and pick up three more points at the weekend.
“I think Leeds will beat Derby,” Savage told 606. “No [I wouldn’t have said that last season] because they haven’t got Frank Lampard. They haven’t got Tomori, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson.
“That’s why I think Derby, who are far weaker this season than last, and Leeds as you eluded to Emma [Jones] are stronger after having a pre-season under Bielsa.”
Last season, Leeds United’s encounters with Derby were full of drama, with the games during the second half of the season being marred by Spygate.
In the end, Derby ended up knocking Leeds out of the Championship play-off semi-final by overturning a one-goal deficit at Elland Road – but they were to suffer their own defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the final at Wembley.
Nonetheless, the Rams are now managed by Phillip Cocu, whose team are currently sitting in 19th place on seven points and have not tasted victory in the league since the opening day of the season.
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