Leeds United: Daniel Farke makes big Blackburn Rovers claim ahead of Elland Road visit | OneFootball

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believes Blackburn Rovers are one of the best sides in the Championship ahead of their meeting on New Year's Day.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has warned his side they are coming up against one of the best teams in the Championship when they take on Blackburn Rovers on New Year’s Day.

The Whites sit top of the table after back-to-back wins over the festive period, with the Yorkshire outfit in a very good position as they look to seal a return to the Premier League.

However, Farke won’t allow complacency to creep in, and Leeds are sure to be tested against a Blackburn side that currently sit in fifth place.

Daniel Farke makes Blackburn claim ahead of Leeds clash

And, speaking to the club’s media, Farke was full of praise for John Eustace’s side, and he wouldn’t rule Rovers out of the automatic promotion race, even though they are 11 points behind second-placed Sheffield United.

“It's just another game, but also against one of the best sides in this league. Blackburn are in a top position, although they, of course, had a disappointing result [a 0-1 defeat against Hull City].

“But it's a really good side for me, definitely a contender for the top six and also for the top two. They are ambitious and have a really good squad and a really good manager. It's always difficult to play against them and also our experiences, not just in this season, also last season, is that they are well-structured against the ball.

“It’s not easy to open them and for that we have to be, again, at our best in order to find good solutions. There are also better solutions than we found in the first game in order to create chances and to cause problems for them.

“We just want to focus on ourselves and want to keep going and don't let the standards drop. And then make sure that in each of the games, if it's a home game, away game, who is in the top positions in the league or perhaps fighting against relegation, we always want to be on it.”

Daniel Farke will demand full Leeds United focus

The table has taken shape as we go into the second half of the season, so the fact Blackburn are in the play-off places shows they are a very good team, even if few will agree with Farke that they could challenge for the top two.

Nevertheless, they beat Leeds at Ewood Park just over a month ago, so the German is right to ensure his players don’t get carried away.

If they don’t maintain the high levels they have shown recently, it’s a game they could drop points in, but you can be sure that the players will be motivated as they look to keep their lead at the top.

Plus, Leeds have been formidable at Elland Road this season, so they will certainly not be fearing Blackburn, or any side in this league, on their own patch.