Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley's fixture run-in compared - Which is hardest? | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at the Championship promotion run-in.

After this weekend's fixtures, the Championship promotion race is entering its final ten games, with Leeds United, Sheffield United, and Burnley battling it out for the two automatic promotion spots.

Just two weeks ago, many would have argued that the Whites were out of sight, but with only one point from a possible six, the Blades and the Clarets have managed to claw back points, leaving the table looking like this (see below).

With the final fixtures set for an enthralling climax, Football League World takes a look at each team's respective run-in and assesses which one is comparatively the easiest.

Leeds United's final ten fixtures

Starting with the team top of the table, Leeds will have been disappointed to draw with West Bromwich Albion and lose away to Portsmouth in their previous two fixtures. However, they can take solace in the fact they don't have to face any of the top four in their remaining ten matches.

In fact, their record against their promotion rivals (including Sunderland) is strong, with the Whites having earned 11 points from a possible 18. This could prove pivotal come May, but they have to ensure they get back to form starting on Wednesday night against Millwall.

The toughest fixtures that Daniel Farke will be focusing on are matches against play-off hopefuls such as Boro and the Robins. However, arguably, trips to struggling sides like Luton and the Pilgrims are far from straightforward, with both teams likely to give everything in their bid to secure a result.

However, for the most part, Whites supporters will be looking at this with optimism, as the majority of the teams they face are stuck in mid-table mediocrity. Furthermore, they don't face a single side currently in a play-off spot, which should leave them hopeful of securing automatic promotion.

Sheffield United's final ten fixtures

Sheffield United hit back after their defeat against Leeds with successive victories against Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End.

However, supporters may have concerns over the narrow margins by which they are winning these matches. Throughout the season, they have scored more than two goals on only two occasions, and they will be keen to ensure this doesn’t hurt them come May.

Sheffield United continue their promotion run-in on Tuesday night as they welcome an in-form Robins to Bramall Lane. Following that, they have two difficult fixtures as they face the Owls in the Steel City Derby and welcome the in-form Sky Blues, who have won nine of their last ten games.

Following that, they have a relatively comfortable run of seven games, but the fixture against the Clarets will be the ultimate test. It could decide one of the two automatic spots and United will want to wave away memories of their 2-0 defeat at home on Boxing Day against the same opposition.

The final fixture against Rovers could also be a big test if new head coach Valérien Ismaël can keep Blackburn in the race for the play-offs.

Burnley's final ten fixtures

Burnley are a team built on defensive solidity, and since the winter transfer window closed, they have found it easier to score goals, which will be a concern for their promotion rivals. In the six league games post February 3rd, they have netted 13 goals and if they continue this form it would be hard to look past them.

Looking at their fixtures, Burnley also face several play-off contenders, with five of the top ten still to play. One of these, of course, is the Blades, and as mentioned earlier, that must be seen as a pivotal match.

Before that, they’ll need to keep pace and remain in contention, with trips to Derby, Watford and Swansea presenting difficult challenges despite their current league positions.

The final two games of the season also pose tough challenges, given the quality of each side. However, Burnley will hope that the lack of pressure on the fixtures for the Lions and the Hoops could work in their favour.

The Championship's most favourable run-in

Statistically, when comparing league positions and calculating the average, Leeds' remaining opponents are in 15.8th place on average, Sheffield United's are in 13.1st, and Burnley's are in 10.5th.

This suggests that Scott Parker's side are facing the toughest challenge on paper. However, form can shift quickly, and it's entirely possible that Burnley could face a team on the back of a poor run, while Leeds may come up against a side in the midst of a strong surge.

Overall, you would say that Daniel Farke's side have the easiest fixture list on paper, and with the other two sides having to face each other, it will give Leeds the chance to capitalise on any dropped points.

Nonetheless, we are still in for plenty of twists and turns, with whichever side secures those two spots truly deserving of a place in the Premier League.