David Prutton predicts Leeds United v Southampton in playoff final
Former Leeds United and Southampton midfielder David Prutton has backed the Whites to defeat the Saints on penalties in the Championship play-off final on 26 May.
Speaking to Rob Wootton on Sky Sports, Prutton said that he was expecting the Wembley final to feature plenty of expansive football but still go right down to the wire.
Leeds stormed through to the decider with a 4-0 victory over Norwich City in their semi-final second leg at Elland Road, but face a Southampton side who have already beaten them twice this season.
Giving his predictions for the match, Prutton said: “We talk about how cagey these games can be, but there’s something in me that’s leaning towards this one being a little bit more expansive.
“It’s been five play-off campaigns they’ve not got through. Leeds fans can keep the faith because at some stage that duck’s got to break.
“I think Leeds squeeze through on penalties, 10-9.”
Can Leeds United finally break their play-off jinx?
Leeds’ campaigns in promotion play-offs across both the second and third divisions read five attempts and five failures, with the sixth coming up this weekend against Southampton.
Daniel Farke’s side have done more than enough to be promoted in almost any other season in second-tier history, but the fate of their entire campaign now rests on just 90 (or 120+) minutes at Wembley.
The Peacocks cannot let their immaculate form for much of the campaign slip, and after recapturing the best of their attacking prowess in the semi-finals, Prutton believes they will go toe-to-toe in Southampton throughout the decider.
Prutton played for the Whites in the third of those five play-off heartbreaks, starting in the 2008 League One final which saw a dismal performance from Leeds result in a 1-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers.
Semi-final failures in 2009 and 2019 followed in the third and second tiers respectively, but having dispatched Norwich in fine style at Elland Road, Leeds must be confident they can now finish the job at hand on May 26 – even if it must take a penalty shoot-out.
In other Leeds news, Neil Warnock has also given a play-off final prediction ahead of the match against Southampton.
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