Marcelo Bielsa goes up against Frank Lampard again this Friday evening, as Leeds United welcome Derby County to Elland Road for a clash between two promotion hopefuls.  

Leeds won the reverse fixture 4-1 on Matchday 2 in the Championship, but things have changed since then, with the promotion race beginning to take shape.

Both Leeds and Derby are in contention for a Premier League return, and here, we take a look at the two sides in our latest FLW Duel:

There’ve been 26 fixtures of the season played so far, with Leeds and Derby amongst those to record a healthy amount of victories in that period.

Bielsa’s men have a slight edge in that they’ve won 15 to Derby’s 12, whilst the men from Elland Road have only lost on five occasions, whilst the Rams have suffered seven defeats.

Lampard’s side have recorded one more draw than Leeds at this stage, though.

That leaves Leeds on 51 points with a goal difference of +16, whilst the Rams are eight points behind with a +6 goal difference.

The Verdict

Leeds have been the team to beat this season in the Championship, there’s no doubt about that.

However, it’s definitely worth noting that we have only just gone past the halfway stage of season and there are still 20 fixtures remaining, starting with Friday’s clash at Elland Road.

Bielsa has a number of injuries to contend with, which could certainly hinder Leeds as they look to maintain what’s been impressive form.

Derby have also impressed in the Championship, albeit not to the same standard as Leeds.

However, Lampard’s young squad do look like they have another level and they will be looking to lay down a marker ahead of the run-in on Friday at Leeds.

Victory at Elland Road could set Derby up to do something special in the next 20 games.

Thoughts? Let us know!