Leeds are preparing for a trip to Preston on Tuesday night in a clash that could have huge ramifications for the Championship promotion race.

Leeds are desperate for a win that would see them temporarily reclaim second spot after their 1-0 defeat to Birmingham saw them drop to third.

A Preston victory would put them firmly in play-off contention as the regular season reaches it climax.

In the build-up to the match, Preston boss Alex Neil has unusually heaped the praise on Marcelo Bielsa's side.

Neil is known for not speaking too highly of Preston's opponents in the build-up to a match, but he has made an exception for the Yorkshire side.

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"I am relishing the challenge 100 per cent," he told the club's website. "I know I am giving them a lot of praise, which I don’t generally do, but It is certainly not something we are shying away from in terms of thinking ‘they are really, really good’.

“We are thinking they are really good, but we are hopefully going to show them how good we can be."

Leeds demolished Preston with a 3-0 victory back in September, but North End have since climbed the table to put themselves in with a chance of making the play-offs.

Meanwhile, their opponents have occupied the automatic promotion places for much of the season but have suffered a small blip in form of late, having lost two of their last three games.

But Neil clearly still maintains that Leeds are one of the leading lights in the division.

The Verdict

Neil's comments come ahead of a massive night for his side, who may have a chance to capitalise on Leeds' patchy form.

Preston have an outside chance of making the play-offs and a result on Tuesday will go some way towards making that a reality.

His admissions underline the magnitude of the challenge presented by Leeds, but Neil appears confident of getting a result. His side may have lost their last two, but you certainly wouldn't put it past them.

Thoughts? Let us know!