Leeds set to suffer another automatic promotion blow at Middlesbrough | Football

Leeds United are in danger of finishing third in a three-horse race after running out of steam at the wrong time in the season.

After taking a mind-boggling 41 points from a possible 45 from New Year’s Day to April Fool’s they have hit the skids and picked up just one point from their last three games.

It means the Whites go into their Monday night examination at Middlesbrough under immense pressure to get their automatic promotion drive back on track.

Victory will send them vaulting into second place, a point behind Leicester and one above Ipswich but having played a game more than both their rivals. They have a superior goal difference to the Tractor Boys, which is a bonus, but face two big tests to close the regular season.

First up is a trip to Loftus Road to face a QPR side who still just about need to look over their shoulder at the wrong end of the table before hosting Southampton on the final day who, as things stand, still have an outside chance of being promoted automatically.

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Boro are not ideal opponents as they still have a glimmer of hope of reaching the play-offs after a burst of nine games without defeat. Too many have been draws with only five of those matches ending in maximum points, but the stalemates did include shares of the spoils at both Southampton and Ipswich.

Michael Carrick’s side, who made a real hash of their start to the campaign, have also gone three matches at the Riverside since conceding a goal and that will make grim reading for Leeds, who have failed to find the net in their last two matches at home to Sunderland and Blackburn.

The pressure on Daniel Farke’s side is immense and given their recent run Boro look too big at 16/5 with bet365 to take all three points.

Ivory Coast striker Emmanuel Latte Lath is finishing the season with a flourish having scored seven times in his last nine outings and is 17/2 with Sky Bet to break the deadlock and 3/1 with the same firm, Paddy Power and Betfair to score at any time and put a further hole in Leeds bid to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

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