Leeds: Can Daniel Farke’s Whites succeed within the Sky Wager EFL play-offs on the sixth time of asking? | Soccer Information

On Sunday afternoon, Leeds will tackle Southampton within the Sky Wager Championship play-off closing.

After a goalless semi-final first leg, Daniel Farke’s facet blew Norwich away with a 4-0 win to e-book their place at Wembley, the place they’re in with an opportunity of returning to the Premier League on the first time of asking.

It’s a related story for Saints, who beat West Brom 3-1 within the second leg at St Mary’s.

This weekend’s sport marks the primary time Leeds have reached a play-off closing in any division in 16 years, however how have they fared within the infamous end-of-season lottery on the earlier 5 events they’ve reached it?

Forward of Sunday’s closing – which is dwell on Sky Sports activities Soccer and Foremost Occasion from 2pm; kick-off 3pm – we have a look…

EFL

Sunday twenty sixth Could 9:15am

1986/87 – Misplaced in Second Division play-off closing replay

Leeds’ first involvement within the play-offs got here within the late Eighties, after they completed 10 factors behind Second Division champions Portsmouth in Billy Bremner’s second season in cost at Elland Street.

They took on Oldham within the semi-finals and progressed to the ultimate on away objectives after a 2-2 draw, which arrange a two-legged closing towards Charlton, who had completed fourth from backside within the First Division and had been combating to retain their prime flight place.

Jim Melrose’s aim noticed the Addicks win the primary leg 1-0, earlier than Brendan Ormsby did the identical for Leeds within the second leg, which pressured a replay on impartial floor; Birmingham’s St Andrew’s on this case.

After 90 minutes, the groups couldn’t be separated, so the tie went to further time. John Sheridan’s free-kick put Leeds forward for the primary time, however Peter Shirtliff’s four-minute double settled the tie in Charlton’s favour.

2005/06 – Misplaced in Championship play-off closing

Owing to the very fact Leeds spent 14 of the subsequent 17 seasons within the prime flight, there was a protracted wait for his or her subsequent play-off marketing campaign.

Underneath Kevin Blackwell, the Whites consolidated their place within the Championship within the first season after relegation from the Premier League, then actually seemed to have a go at making their second tier keep a brief one.

After a 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace on March 4, Leeds had been third within the desk. They had been 20 factors behind Steve Coppell’s historic Studying workforce – which nonetheless holds the file for essentially the most factors achieved in a Championship season – however solely six factors behind second-placed Sheffield United, and with a sport in hand.

Automated promotion was nonetheless very a lot a chance at that time – however their their killer intuition evaporated into thin air – Blackwell’s facet took 9 factors from their closing 10 video games.

They overcame Preston 3-1 on combination to e-book a spot within the play-off closing on the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, however Jay DeMerit’s opener, a Neil Sullivan personal aim and a Darius Henderson penalty earned Watford a convincing 3-0 victory.

2007/08 – Misplaced in League One play-off closing

Leeds had been relegated to League One in the summertime of 2007, having been handed a 10-point deduction for going into administration, and so they suffered one other blow within the lead-up to their first ever season within the third tier of English soccer, after they had been handed an extra 15-point penalty for off-field points.

Nonetheless, underneath Dennis Smart, they gained 11 of their first 13 video games and had been within the play-off locations by October in consequence.

Leeds legend Gary McAllister struggled to duplicate the identical kind when he took over after Smart left to turn into director of soccer at Newcastle in late January, although seven wins from the final 9 ensured they completed comfortably in fifth.

They subsequently misplaced the play-off semi-final first leg 2-1 at dwelling to Carlisle, earlier than Jonny Howson’s double at Brunton Park took overturned the deficit within the second leg to e-book a spot at Wembley, the place James Hayter’s second-half header sealed a 1-0 win for Doncaster.

2008/09 – Misplaced in League One play-off semi-finals

There was no instant signal of a hangover for Leeds the next yr, which was the primary in three seasons with no factors deduction, and so they had been even beginning to hassle the automated promotion locations.

That flirtation was transient, although. Between October 28 and December 20, Leeds misplaced six of their eight league video games and weren’t far off dropping into the underside half of the desk, so on December 21, McAllister was sacked. He was changed by boyhood Leeds fan Simon Grayson two days later.

Grayson turned issues round so shortly and so efficiently that his facet completed fourth and solely missed out on automated promotion by 5 factors. They went into the play-offs with the momentum of 9 wins from their final 11.

Leeds misplaced the semi-final first leg for the second yr in succession, with Neil Harris’ strike proving the distinction for Millwall at The Den. Luciano Becchio put them in entrance within the second leg, after Jermaine Beckford had earlier missed a penalty, however when Jimmy Abdou equalised for Millwall 16 minutes from time, they might discover no means again.

2018/19 – Misplaced in Championship play-off semi-finals

After eight seasons again within the second tier – and 6 bottom-half finishes in that point – Leeds lastly began to consider it was their time throughout Marcelo Bielsa’s first season in cost. He united town and had Leeds followers dreaming.

Having completed six factors off the automated promotion locations that they had challenged for all through the marketing campaign, Leeds needed to accept a spot within the play-offs once more, and led Frank Lampard’s Derby 1-0 in on combination going into the semi-final second leg.

Stuart Dallas doubled that lead halfway by way of the primary half, however simply after the hour mark it was 3-3. Jack Marriott, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson had made it 3-1 on the night time, earlier than Dallas struck once more to degree up the tie.

When it appeared as if extra-time would comply with, Marriott lifted his second of the night time over Kiko Casilla to silence Elland Street and break Leeds hearts as soon as once more.

And if that wasn’t sufficient…

Leeds’ file in London will not be for the faint-hearted…

Since beating QPR 3-1 at Loftus Street in December 2017 – because of a Kemar Roofe hat-trick – Leeds have performed 36 video games in all competitions within the capital, with outcomes comprising 4 wins, 4 attracts and a staggering 28 defeats.

Throughout that run, they’ve scored 32 objectives and conceded 74.

To make issues worse, they’ve misplaced 9 of final 10 in London, with the final the 4-0 defeat towards QPR on April 26.

Will their luck change on Sunday? Watch all of the motion on Sky Sports activities Soccer from 2pm on Sunday to seek out out…

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