Rotherham vs Leeds prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-11-23 20:00.
The Championship returns post-international break with Friday night football at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, and hosts Rotherham will be delighted to restart on home soil given that all bar one of the 11 points they’ve amassed this season have been picked up in South Yorkshire. It’s the dawn of a new era for the Millers too, who wielded the axe on former boss Matt Taylor after their 5-0 humiliation at Watford before the break.
It’s hardly a surprise the Rotherham hierarchy felt a change was needed, as stuck in the relegation zone after just two wins in their opening 16 league games (D5, L9), they’re already cut four points adrift. Still managerless coming into this clash, Wayne Carlisle takes interim charge here, and the first thing on his agenda will be to stop the alarming rate at which Rotherham are conceding goals, with their 32 against so far this term a joint-high in the second tier.
That’s perhaps easier said than done for Rotherham, who face one of the Championship’s most potent attacks in Leeds, with their 27 goals in their opening 16 games a record only bettered by three clubs over the same period. Those goals have helped the Lilywhites win six of their last seven (L1) to earmark their status as genuine promotion contenders following relegation, but sitting eight points outside the top two, there’s still plenty of work left to do.
If confidence wasn’t high enough after three successive wins as they prepare for this Yorkshire derby, it’ll have been given a further boost by victories in the last four H2Hs between these two sides. That doesn’t mean it’s all going to be plain sailing though, as Leeds’ poor record in Friday-held Championship away games proves (W3, D7, L5).
Players to watch: Jordan Hugill remains Rotherham’s top scorer this season with three, but he hasn’t scored against Leeds since the 2015/16 season when he did so in the colours of Preston. Six of Leeds’ last seven goals have all come in the first half of games, with speedster Dan James responsible for three of those. He also grabbed an assist on both previous occasions he’s faced Rotherham over the course of his career to date.
Hot streak: All four of the pair’s H2Hs at the AESSEAL New York Stadium since it opened in 2012 have ended 2-1, twice in favour of each club respectively.