Opta predicts final PL finish for Leeds and % chance of European football
Leeds United still obtain an outside chance of securing European football this season and marking a memorable return to the Premier League.
That is according to a predicted table from stats guru Opta as published on The Athletic website.
The report details the most likely final Premier League standings at the end of the season and it represents healthy reading for Marcelo Bielsa and co.
It’s no surprise to see that there is zero chance of relegation with the club 13 points clear of 18th placed Fulham.
But what is interesting to note is that there still remains a possibility of bringing European football back to Elland Road next season, though the chances are considered remote.
They are given a 0.3% chance of coming fourth and attaining Champions League qualification but there is still an outside chance of sneaking into the Europa League places.
Depending on the winners of the domestic cup competitions even seventh position gives the possibility of European football and Leeds are given a 4.3% probability of finishing there.
That would be quite some going for a recently promoted side and while that might still seem a way off, it is actually a lot closer than one might expect.
The drop off from league champions Liverpool has been remarkable and they are sinking down the table at an alarming rate.
Indeed, they are now sixth and only five points ahead of Leeds and after a resounding 3-0 win over Southampton on Tuesday, the Whites should be aiming for the moon without having to look over their shoulders.
With a Jack Grealish-shorn Aston Villa and relegation candidates Fulham and Sheffield United to come in the next five games, there is a very real chance of picking up multiple points and pushing towards the 50 point mark in the near future.
However Opta predict Leeds to only just beat this tally by the end of the campaign, as their model suggests they will pick up 53 points and finish 11th, meaning they would narrowly miss out on a top 10 finish.
According to the table Aston Villa are set to pip the Whites to 10th with 55 points.
Bielsa and his charges have an early opportunity to upset these odds as they host Villa at Elland Road on Saturday evening and a win would see them soar past their Midlands counterparts into eighth.
In other Leeds United news, Tony Cascarino rates Patrick Bamford’s chances of making the England Euros squad this summer.