Crystal Palace v Leeds predictions: Visitors value for the victory

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Crystal Palace v Leeds in the Premier League on Monday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, Monday 8pm

Best bet

Leeds
1pt 13-5 BoyleSports

Team news

Crystal Palace
Nathan Ferguson is out. Michael Olise was substituted early against Newcastle and faces a fitness test along with Luka Milivojevic.

Leeds
Adam Forshaw joins Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts on the sidelines. Junior Firpo and Jamie Shackleton should be available.

Match preview

Leeds are still looking over their shoulders in the relegation battle but they can take a major step towards Premier League safety when they visit Crystal Palace.

Despite the contrasting seasons the pair have had, just four points separate the two teams in the table and the away side are in better form than their hosts.

The Whites have won three of their last four games and drawn the other, and the return of stalwarts Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips has been key to their upturn in fortunes.

New manager Jesse Marsch has been able to name a more stable team than his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa as many of their injury issues have started to abate. Marsch’s men have reaped the rewards of that consistency and a break of more than two weeks since their last game, a 3-0 win over Watford, has also allowed the team to be freshened up.

In contrast Palace have played three times since their opponents’ last match including a demoralising 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Their hectic schedule could begin to catch up with them, given that long cup run and the fact that they don’t have the deepest squad.

The Eagles followed their defeat to Chelsea with a disappointing 1-0 loss against Newcastle, where Patrick Vieira’s men had more of the ball but failed to create anything of note, particularly in the second half.

Only the bottom three have won fewer games than the home side’s eight as they have struggled to turn stalemates into victories.

The Whites won the reverse fixture earlier in the season and there are signs that Marsch has tightened them up at the back. They recorded their first clean sheet since November against the Hornets.

Leeds have missed Patrick Bamford up front but have scored nine times in their last four games so have done a good job of filling in for their injured striker.

There has been persistent speculation about Raphinha departing at the end of the season but for now he is the talisman of this team and is crucial to their chances of picking up three points in south London.

For Palace, the signs of progress under Vieira are clear and they are a much-improved team from last season. However Leeds have more to play for in this game and with a fresher squad may be able to secure a vital away win.

Key stat

Leeds have taken ten points from the last 12 available.

Inside info

Crystal Palace

Penalty taker Wilfred Zaha
Free-kick wizard Conor Gallagher
Set-piece aerial threat Jean-Philippe Mateta
Card magnet Conor Gallagher

Leeds

Penalty taker Raphinha
Free-kick wizard Raphinha
Set-piece aerial threat Liam Cooper
Card magnet Rodrigo

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