As two old foes prepare to convene, we look ahead to Sunday’s Premier League clash with our Leeds vs Man Utd prediction and preview.
Leeds vs Man Utd: The Key Stats
Predicting victory for Manchester United, the Opta Supercomputer gives Ruben Amorim’s men a 41.7% chance of winning their first fixture in 2026. Starting with a 32.8% chance of success, Leeds have won just one of their last 19 Premier League meetings with Man Utd (D6 L12) and are winless in nine against them since a 1-0 home victory back in September 2002. Man Utd are unbeaten in 25 Premier League games against promoted sides (W22 D3) since a 4-1 loss at Watford in November 2021 that led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure as manager.After stumbling towards the end of 2025, Manchester United will seek just their second win in five games when they visit bitter rivals Leeds United at Elland Road for their first outing of 2026.
Wrapping up a difficult December, United were held to a 1-1 home draw by rock-bottom Wolves, who had previously lost 11 successive league matches.
Despite Joshua Zirkzee responding to his surprise selection with a second goal in three Premier League starts – as many as he had produced across his first 15 – Wolves bit back and were ultimately deserving of a point.
Ruben Amorim’s side have now drawn five of their last seven Premier League matches in which they’ve scored first (W2) and have won just 52% of games when going 1-0 up (11/21) under the Portuguese coach.
That result also followed other recent Old Trafford setbacks, including defeat to 10-man Everton, failure to beat relegation-threatened West Ham and conceding four goals in an epic draw with Bournemouth.
Calling their resilience into question, United have conceded more equalisers than any other top-flight team this term, with their opponents drawing level on no fewer than 12 occasions. Somehow, though, they still finished 2025 sitting sixth in the table, only separated from fifth – potentially the final Champions League place – by goal difference.
Meanwhile, Leeds have steadily climbed to the relative safety of 16th by going six games without defeat since the start of December, a run that’s considerably eased the pressure on Daniel Farke.
Continuing their revival in a low-key New Year’s Day clash with Liverpool, the Whites held the reigning Premier League champions for a second time in four weeks, their gritty 0-0 draw following a six-goal thriller at Elland Road.
In Farke’s estimation, a clean sheet and a point at Anfield represented more progress for his team, who have been transformed since switching to a back three and going more direct.
Surprisingly kept in reserve for a second-half cameo, Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw a poacher’s strike ruled out for offside, and he remains one of Farke’s main men.
After underperforming his xG in eight of 10 previous Premier League seasons, the English striker has recently hit a purple patch, scoring in his last three home games; he’s never netted in four consecutively, while the last Leeds player to do so was Mark Viduka back in April 2004.
Collectively, Leeds have only failed to score once at home this season – the 0-0 draw with Newcastle in August – and they’ve found the net at least three times in each of their last three outings at a raucous Elland Road.
So, Leeds fans will be keen to see that streak continue against their arch rivals from across the Yorkshire-Lancashire divide.
Precedent suggests there’s every chance, as Man Utd have conceded at least once in their last 14 top-flight away games, their worst such run since between September 1985 and April 1986 (15).
Amorim’s squad is also stretched by a host of absences, so the visitors are likely to field another makeshift XI on Sunday.
England Under-18 international Bendito Mantato made his club debut on Tuesday, while rookie midfielder Jack Fletcher also appeared from the bench with Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and inspirational captain Bruno Fernandes all out injured.
Two key attackers, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, are still at the Africa Cup of Nations, so Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko could start again. At the back, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt are expected to miss out once more.
As for Leeds, Farke will surely recall Calvert-Lewin – who has scored in six of his last seven league games – against what is likely to be a largely inexperienced and/or makeshift Man Utd backline.
Joe Rodon, Sean Longstaff and Daniel James are Farke’s main absentees, but some rotation is likely, given the short turnaround between fixtures. Alongside Calvert-Lewin, Ao Tanaka and Noah Okafor may be in line for a start.
Leeds vs Man Utd Head-to-Head
Man Utd have won their last two away games against Leeds, but they’ve never won on three consecutive visits to Elland Road before.
Leeds have taken maximum points just once in their last 19 Premier League meetings with Man Utd (D6 L12) and are winless in nine since a 1-0 home victory in September 2002.
Curiously, though, the Red Devils have never beaten Leeds when facing them in the first league game of a calendar year, previously drawing 0-0 in 1931, 1-1 in 1958 and 0-0 in 1994, and losing 2-1 in 1969.
Leeds vs Man Utd Prediction
The Opta supercomputer has Manchester United as slight favourites to prevail here, claiming all three points in 41.7% of 10,000 pre-match simulations.
Leeds are still in with a good shout, though, having a 32.8% probability of success. That leaves a 25.5% chance of the spoils being shared.
Leeds vs Man Utd Predicted Lineups
Leeds: Lucas Perri, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Pascal Struijk, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson, Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor.
Head coach: Daniel Farke
Manchester United: Senne Lammens, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Patrick Dorgu, Joshua Zirkzee, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko.
Head coach: Ruben Amorim
Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings are a global team ranking system. They assign an ability score to over 10,000 domestic football teams. This score is on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.
Ahead of kick-off on Sunday, here is the Opta Power Ranking for both sides.
Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Leeds vs Man Utd Prediction: Can Depleted Red Devils End Bitter Rivals’ Resurgence? Opta Analyst.
Hence then, the article about leeds vs man utd prediction can depleted red devils end bitter rivals resurgence was published today ( ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Leeds vs Man Utd Prediction: Can Depleted Red Devils End Bitter Rivals’ Resurgence? )
Also on site :
- Skanska signs additional contract with existing client to build a data center in USA for USD 228M, about SEK 2.2 billion
- ‘No way out’: Telangana student dies in Germany after jumping from burning apartment on New Year’s Eve
- Switzerland fire latest: King Charles ‘heartbroken’ after 40 killed in ‘horrific’ Crans Montana bar disaster