Bristol Cityvs.Leeds

The visitors currently sit level on points with second-placed Burnley thanks to consecutive victories and a six-match unbeaten streak, while their hosts have also not lost any of their last six outings.

Match preview

Bristol City return to Ashton Gate on Saturday in the midst of a six-match unbeaten streak in the Championship with the playoff spots in their sights.

From their opening 11 outings, the Robins have earned 15 points, with their only two defeats thus far having come consecutively in August and September.

They bounced back from those setbacks with a victory over Oxford United and three consecutive draws against Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City, before manager Liam Manning announced a leave of absence following the tragic passing of his son during the break.

Returning to action under the temporary care of Chris Hogg, the Robins faced a tough trip to Middlesbrough at the weekend and extended their unbeaten run in style, as Anis Mehmeti and Yu Hirakawa fired them to a 2-0 victory with first-half goals, before most recently visiting Stoke City on Tuesday and collecting a point from a 2-2 draw, having come from 2-0 down thanks to a quickfire Nahki Wells brace in the second half.

With momentum building at Ashton Gate, having put themselves within four points of fourth, fifth and sixth spots with a pair of pleasing results on the road, Bristol City will aim to make it seven games unbeaten with a fourth league victory of the campaign on Tuesday.

They arguable face their toughest test yet, though, as the visitors make the trip aiming too continue a perfect run since the break and put themselves in the top two in their automatic promotion bid.

Aiming to win promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking under the management of Daniel Farke, following last season's playoff heartbreak, Leeds United have enjoyed a strong start, currently sitting third having amassed 22 points from their first 11 outings.

Their solitary defeat came to Burnley in mid-September, but the Whites did then head into the international break following two victories and two creditable draws on the road, before continuing a pleasing run on their return to action last week.

They hosted Yorkshire rivals and fellow promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United on Friday and dished out a first league defeat of the season to the Blades, taking all three points from a 2-0 triumph thanks to goals from Pascal Struijk and Mateo Joseph, before hosting Watford on Tuesday and holding on for a 2-1 triumph after Largie Ramazani and Brenden Aaronson had them two goals up inside seven minutes.

Now with confidence quickly growing in the camp in their quest for a top-two finish this time around, Leeds United will bid to make it three wins on the bounce on Saturday with a chance to climb into the top two if second-placed Burnley drop points or leaders Sunderland suffer a defeat.

Bristol City Championship form:

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Leeds United Championship form:

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Team News

Bristol City head into the weekend without midfielder Joe Williams, who will serve a suspension after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season in Tuesday's draw with Stoke City.

Chris Hogg has several other selection concerns to contend with, as winger Sam Bell, midfielder Aymen Benarous and defenders Cameron Pring, Rob Dickie and Rob Atkinson remain sidelined by injures.

In Williams's absence, George Earthy could come in to join Max Bird and Jason Knight in the centre, while Nahki Wells is bound to again lead the line after his midweek brace and Zak Vyner and Luke McNally should partner up at the heart of an unchanged back four.

Leeds United face a yellow-card suspension of their own on Saturday with left-back Junior Firpo ruled out, while winger Largie Ramazani is set to join midfielders Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu in the treatment room after limping off shortly after his opening goal against Watford on Tuesday.

If he misses out, Tottenham Hotspur loanee Manor Solomon should come in from the start on the left flank, while Daniel James and Mateo Joseph will also compete for spots after Ramazani, Brenden Aaronson and Willy Gnonto supported Joel Piroe in midweek.

Elsewhere, Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell will continue their midfield partnership having impressed in the absence of Gruev and Ampadu, while Sam Byram will likely come in to join Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jayden Bogle in a back four in Firpo's place.

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, McNally, McCrorie; Bird, Knight; Mehmeti, Earthy, Hirakawa; Wells

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Byram; Tanaka, Rothwell; Gnonto, Aaronson, Solomon; Joseph

We say: Bristol City 1-2 Leeds United

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