Pascal Struijk speaks out about Leeds promotion hopes amid stuttering form
Leeds United are the Championship league leaders with just eight games left to play and optimistic supporters will already have one eye on the Premier League.
But matters have not always been plain sailing for the Elland Road side who suffered a defeat to Southampton in last season’s playoff final.
Daniel Farke’s side have done well to win 80 points so far this term, but they remain level with second-place Sheffield United and also have third-place Burnley breathing down their necks.
The Elland Road faithful may be nervous by the fact that Leeds have won just one of their last four games in the Championship.
Leeds star Pascal Struijk opens up on desperation to win automatic promotion
Defender Pascal Struijk has been a real asset for the Whites this term, having featured in 33 of their 38 Championship outings so far.
The Dutchman has even helped his side’s promotion bid by scoring five goals this season, including a brace in a 2-1 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Sunderland.
| Championship table (Top three, 28/03/2025) | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 Leeds | 38 | 51 | 80 |
| 2 Sheffield United | 38 | 25 | 80 |
| 3 Burnley | 38 | 41 | 78 |
Amid the close-fought battle for automatic promotion, Struijk told The Mirror: “Of course, we don’t want to play in the play-offs.
“We all have one target, and that’s to go up to the Premier League.”
The defender is keen to avoid a repeat of last term’s playoff heartbreak: “Everybody was really disappointed.
“We, especially, feel like you have a chip on your shoulder, yes?
“Because of the disappointment from last year, we feel we have something extra to play for.”
Leeds look set for automatic promotion
While Leeds’ form of late has been far from their best, Struijk’s comments outline just how keen the Whites squad are to avoid dropping into a playoff place.
The defender’s strong desire to win automatic promotion to the Premier League should reassure supporters that Farke and Co have what it takes to land a top-two spot this season following last year’s loss at Wembley.
Leeds endured an awful start to their last game, as they fell 2-0 down to QPR inside 30 minutes before going on to yield a 2-2 draw from Loftus Road.
But even though Sheffield United would be top of the league if they hadn’t suffered a two-point deduction, a very strong argument could be made that Farke’s men have been the best side in the Championship this term.
No other side in the division comes close to the 76 goals scored by the Whites this season, as they look set to seal promotion.