Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce has paid tribute to the Elland Road atmosphere, after he saw his side lose 1-0 to Leeds United at the weekend.

It was shaping up to be a fiery affair between two Yorkshire clubs both gunning for promotion, with Wednesday pushing for the play-offs after a fabulous run of form under Bruce.

Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds, on the other hand, knew that a win would see them go three points clear of Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, after the latter were held to a late 1-1 draw with Millwall earlier on in the day.

The roof was lifted off Elland Road when Jack Harrison netted Leeds' winner, on a day where the Whites took a massive step towards automatic promotion to the Premier League.

[ad_pod ]

Speaking after his side's defeat, Bruce paid tribute to the atmosphere created by Leeds fans, and tipped Bielsa's men to go all the way this term.

Via the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: "The way the crowd are reminded me of what it was 20 years ago. You'd fancy them with the four games they've got. With what they've got going for them they've got an outstanding chance.

"What a place to have my 900th game. Abused from the moment I got off the bus! Nothing's changed. I hate to say it but the atmosphere was fantastic."

With just four games left to play this season, Leeds now sit three points clear of Chris Wilder's Blades ahead of a home clash with Wigan Athletic on Good Friday, before a trip to Brentford on Easter Monday.

The Verdict

You wouldn't normally expect a manager from a rival club to praise opposition fans, so fair play to Bruce for paying tribute to what was an extraordinary atmosphere at Elland Road on Saturday.

Leeds fans knew that it would be the biggest win of the campaign if they managed to defeat the Owls, and they got right behind their team from start to finish as they fired themselves towards automatic promotion.

The race for automatic promotion is heating up, and you have got to be loving it as a neutral supporter.