Sheffield United vs Leicester City Predictions

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Can Sheffield United’s right-sided threat and set-piece power unsettle Leicester’s creators at Bramall Lane? Read on for complete analysis and the best betting tips.
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Sheffield United vs Leicester City Predictions and Best Bets

Sheffield United vs Leicester — bet365 Market Snapshot

Swipe through key markets with illustrative probabilities and sample bet365 odds based on our match analysis.

Sheff Utd crest
Sheff Utd
vs
Leicester crest
Leicester
Main Market • 1X2
Match Result – Blades Favoured

Recent home wins and Leicester’s defensive leaks make Sheffield United slight favourites, though the odds suggest a competitive match.

Sheff Utd
58%
bet365 1.73
Draw
31%
bet365 3.20
Leicester
27%
bet365 3.75
Correct Score
Most Likely Scorelines

With both teams consistently conceding, a 2-1 home win or a score draw reflects the high probability of goals at both ends.

Sheff Utd 2–1
13% bet365 8.00
Sheff Utd 1–0
14% bet365 7.00
Draw 1–1
14% bet365 7.00
Goals • Team & Match
Total Goals & Scoring Pattern

Leicester’s 100% BTTS record in their last 7 league games strongly supports both sides finding the net.

BTTS – Yes
58% bet365 1.73
Over 2.5 Goals
55% bet365 1.80
Player Focus
Key Attacking Props

Patrick Bamford’s impressive strike rate and Jordan James’ goal threat from midfield make them key players to watch.

Bamford Score
38% bet365 2.63
James Score
30% bet365 3.50
Swipe left or right to browse markets. Odds are subject to change and may differ from live bet365 prices.
  • Control without comfort: Sheffield United average 51.8% possession and 13.3 shots per league match, while Leicester average 52.7% possession and 11.9 shots, setting up a battle for initiative.
  • Creators on show: Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu has 7 assists and 4 goals, while Sheffield United’s Callum O’Hare has 5 assists and 6 goals, shaping where chances may come from.
  • Recent patterns point to openness: Leicester have seen both teams score in each of their last 7 Championship matches, while Sheffield United have scored 2+ in three straight all-competitions games.

Scoring Reliability: Both Teams to Score

Both sides consistently score and concede, with Leicester’s recent record being particularly striking.

Sheff Utd
Leaky Defence
1.56
Average goals conceded per match

Conceding over 1.5 goals per game highlights why the Blades struggle to keep clean sheets despite their attacking output.

Leicester
100% BTTS Streak
7 / 7
Last 7 league matches where both scored

Leicester have seen both teams find the net in every one of their last seven Championship outings.

Creating Threat: Average Shots per Match

Both teams generate a healthy number of attempts, suggesting an open game with plenty of goalmouth action.

Sheff Utd
High Volume
13.3
Average shots per match

The Blades are active in the final third, creating over 13 chances per game on average.

Leicester
Consistent
11.9
Average shots per match

While slightly lower volume, Leicester’s creative midfielders ensure they regularly test opposition goalkeepers.

A “fresh start” is usually a nice idea. A clean page, a reset button, a chance to kick the old frustrations into the long grass and get on with it. For Sheffield United and Leicester City, New Year’s Day at Bramall Lane offers exactly that sort of psychological line in the sand — even if the table stubbornly insists on bringing last year’s baggage into the new one.

Both clubs have had a disappointing past 12 months, and the Championship picture reflects it. Sheffield United sit 17th; Leicester are 12th. Neither side is described as a serious contender for promotion back to the Premier League, which, in its own way, sharpens the edge here. If the grand narrative isn’t about an unstoppable charge, then it becomes about smaller, more immediate things: control, confidence, and whether either team can build something reliable from a squad full of recognisable talent and quirks.

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The timing and setting add to the sense of a pivot point. This is Round 25 of the regular season. Bramall Lane under winter air, the kind that makes every first contact sound louder than it should. Sheffield United come into it with three wins in their last six matches, including back-to-back league wins against Stoke City — 2-1 away on 29 December and 4-0 at home earlier in the month — and a 3-0 win over Birmingham City in between. They’ve also had their wobble, conceding five at Wrexham in a 5-3 defeat, and losing 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion. The story isn’t linear. It’s jagged. But it’s moving.

Leicester’s last six has a similarly spiky profile. Three wins, a draw, two defeats. They’ve beaten Derby County twice in that run, most recently 2-1 on 29 December, and they beat Ipswich Town 3-1. But they’ve also been hit for four at Queens Park Rangers and lost 2-1 at home to Watford. That’s the Championship in miniature: a league where one week you look like you’ve got it boxed off and the next you’re swatting away questions with the air of someone who’s just been asked to explain their own handwriting.

There’s also recent history between the two that refuses to be ignored. On 29 November 2025, Sheffield United won 3-2 away at Leicester City — and they did it emphatically early, leading 3-0 at half-time. That’s not the sort of game you forget, whether you’re on the receiving end or the side that delivered it. It sets a baseline for what can happen when momentum swings and one team starts winning the key duels and the key moments.

And that, ultimately, is what this match looks like. Not a coronation, not a crisis summit, but an opportunity. Sheffield United trying to look higher than 17th with the ball and with their threat. Leicester trying to make 12th feel less like an awkward waiting room and more like a platform. A fresh start, then — but one that has to be earned, in ninety minutes of decisions.

Team News and Likely Set-Ups

Sheffield United’s possible starting line-up is:

Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, Bindon, McCallum; Riedewald, Soumare; Brooks, O’Hare, Hamer; Bamford

That reads like a 4-2-3-1 on paper: a back four, two central midfielders, three attackers behind a striker. The personnel gives it texture. Femi Seriki at right-back brings a blend of security and output — he has 1 goal and 3 assists — while Sam McCallum on the left has 1 goal and a tidy individual profile, with a 6.98 rating and 2.2 aerials won per game. In the middle, Japhet Tanganga looks like the organiser and the bruiser: 21 appearances, 4.5 aerials won per game, and a 6.96 rating, with two man-of-the-match awards to underline his influence.

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Tyler Bindon alongside Tanganga is an interesting nod to freshness in the spine. Bindon has 1 goal and wins 3.3 aerials per game. Behind them, Michael Cooper starts in goal and has been ever-present: 24 appearances.

The double pivot of Jairo Riedewald and Djibril Soumaré points to a midfield that can circulate and cover. Riedewald’s passing number pops — 86.2% — and he has 1 goal; Soumaré sits at 81.7% pass accuracy. It’s not the sort of pairing that screams chaos-ball. It suggests Sheffield United want enough control to keep their attacking line supplied while still having bodies positioned to slow counters — which is important given their weaknesses list includes defending counter attacks as very weak.

The attacking line is where Sheffield United’s best work can take shape. Callum O’Hare is the headline: 6 goals and 5 assists, plus 1.5 shots per game and a creative profile that suits a No.10 drifting into pockets. Gustavo Hamer offers a different flavour from the side: 2 goals and 3 assists, with 1.9 shots per game. Andre Brooks, meanwhile, brings support from the other side, and the trio around the striker gives Sheffield United multiple ways to progress — through the middle via O’Hare, via individual moments from Hamer, or via the full-backs and Seriki’s delivery.

And then there’s Patrick Bamford up top. The raw output is impossible to ignore: 5 goals from just 5 starts and 4 substitute appearances, with 2 shots per game. That is a forward living close to the business end of moves. Sheffield United’s job is to give him enough service in the right areas, because he’s already shown he doesn’t need a long warm-up to get involved.

Leicester City’s possible starting line-up is:

Stolarczyk; Pereira, Nelson, Okoli, Thomas; James, Skipp; Fatuwu, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi; Ayew

Again, this looks like a 4-2-3-1: back four, double pivot, three behind a central forward. Leicester’s identity is described as possession football with short passes, through balls, long shots, width, and an aggressive edge. The line-up reflects that — a side with technical options across the front four and creators who can make things happen at speed.

Ricardo Pereira at right-back is a notable figure in that context. He has 2 goals and 1 assist, and his presence fits Leicester’s tendency to attack down the right. On the other side, Luke Thomas has 3 assists and a high activity profile, even if he carries 6 yellow cards — a hint of that “aggressive” tag showing up in real terms.

In the centre, Ben Nelson and Caleb Okoli are the likely pair. Okoli’s aerial work is strong at 3.2 aerials won per game. Leicester’s wider weakness list includes aerial duels as weak and defending set pieces as weak, so getting the centre-backs right matters: you don’t want the spine wobbling on a day when Bramall Lane can turn a corner into a full-blown event.

Midfield is built around Jordan James and Oliver Skipp here. James has been Leicester’s biggest goal threat from midfield, with 7 goals and 2 assists. Skipp has 1 goal, and is a stabiliser by profile rather than a headline act. That pairing suggests Leicester can play through the middle but also arrive late into the box — which is a big deal against a side that is labelled very weak at protecting the lead and weak at stopping opponents from creating chances.

Ahead of them, Abdul Fatawu is the creative engine. He has 4 goals and 7 assists, and a 7.12 rating. That combination of output and influence is the sort that changes the tactical conversation: you don’t just plan for Leicester as a team, you plan for where Fatawu receives the ball and what he does next. On the other flank, Stephy Mavididi offers directness — 2 goals — while Bobby De Cordova-Reid brings goals from a slightly unexpected position with 5 goals.

Up top, Jordan Ayew leads the line, with 4 goals and 2 assists, and he also contributes in the air (1.4 aerials won per game). Leicester are marked as strong at finishing chances, so the focus becomes whether they can consistently create those chances against a Sheffield United side that can be strong in aerial duels and set-piece phases but vulnerable in transition defending.

How the Match Could Be Played

This match has the feel of two teams that want to play on the front foot, but for slightly different reasons. Sheffield United’s style points to controlling the game in the opposition’s half and attacking down the right, while Leicester’s style points to short passes, through balls, long shots, width, and an aggressive approach. On paper, that sounds like a contest for territory and initiative rather than a game where one side sits in and merely reacts.

The likely shapes — 4-2-3-1 versus 4-2-3-1 — make the match-ups easy to locate. Full-backs against wingers. Double pivot against double pivot. The two No.10 lines trying to find half-spaces. And, crucially, each team’s ability to defend the moment immediately after they lose the ball.

That last point is not a minor footnote. Sheffield United’s weakness list includes defending counter attacks as very weak, and defending against skillful players as very weak, plus avoiding individual errors and protecting the lead both as very weak. If you’re Leicester and you see those tags, you don’t necessarily need an elaborate plan. You need clarity: win the ball, find the first forward pass, and trust that your front four can turn a slightly disorganised defensive shape into a chance.

Leicester’s strengths align neatly with that. They are strong at creating chances through individual skill and strong at finishing chances. Fatawu is the obvious conduit, especially if Sheffield United are pushing their right side high and leaving space behind it. Sheffield United attack down the right; Leicester can use that to their advantage if they can turn the ball over and immediately play into the channel left behind. Luke Thomas and Mavididi could be important here simply because Leicester’s width is an explicit part of how they play. The question is whether Leicester can get into those wide areas quickly enough before Sheffield United’s double pivot can slide across and slow the play.

But the flip side is that Leicester’s own weaknesses are also tailored to what Sheffield United can do well. Leicester are weak at defending set pieces and weak in aerial duels, and they are very weak at avoiding fouling in dangerous areas. Sheffield United, meanwhile, are strong at attacking set pieces, strong in aerial duels, and strong at defending set pieces. That suggests Sheffield United have a clear route to pressure even if open-play patterns get sticky: get the ball into areas where Leicester might foul, pile bodies into the box, and make the next dead ball feel like a test of nerve.

It’s also worth looking at how Sheffield United’s personnel shapes their attacking plan. O’Hare’s 6 goals and 5 assists suggest he can both create and arrive in scoring areas. Hamer’s 2 goals and 3 assists and 1.9 shots per game points to a player who will take responsibility when the game needs a spark. Seriki’s 3 assists from right-back matches Sheffield United’s attacking-down-the-right tendency. Put that together and you can sketch a likely pattern: Sheffield United build through the pivot, move it to the right side, and look for Seriki and Brooks to combine while O’Hare drifts into the lane for a cutback or a slipped pass.

If Leicester defend that by narrowing and crowding the half-space, Sheffield United have another mechanism: early delivery into Bamford. Bamford’s scoring rate — 5 goals in limited minutes — suggests he thrives on being fed quickly. He doesn’t need Sheffield United to create five “perfect” chances. He needs a handful of actions that put him in the box with a sight of goal. With Leicester’s aerial-duel weakness, a direct ball into the area or a quick cross after a switch of play could become a genuine threat.

Leicester’s own build-up, with James and Skipp as the base and three creators behind Ayew, should offer variety. Jordan James has been Leicester’s top scorer with 7 goals, and that matters tactically because it hints at a midfielder who arrives into the box, rather than only recycling possession. If Sheffield United’s pivot gets dragged towards Fatawu and De Cordova-Reid, that can open a lane for James to pop up in the edge-of-the-box area. Leicester also like long shots. Sheffield United are not flagged as weak defending long shots specifically, but their vulnerability to individual skill and errors can still show up in these moments — the kind where one defender steps out a second late and suddenly the ball is travelling before anyone has set their feet.

The pressing and tempo battle should be fascinating simply because both sides have decent possession numbers. Sheffield United average 51.8% possession in the Championship, Leicester 52.7%. Those are not figures of a team that wants to spend all day without the ball. It hints at a match where both sides feel comfortable having spells of control, and the game might be decided less by who has the ball and more by what happens when control breaks.

If Sheffield United manage to push Leicester back, they can keep the match in the zones they like — higher up, nearer Leicester’s box, where a foul is more likely and where their set-piece strength can count. If Leicester can draw Sheffield United on and then turn them with a quick pass into space, they can attack the vulnerabilities Sheffield United carry in transition.

There’s also an intriguing psychological layer to the systems. Sheffield United are described as non-aggressive in style, while Leicester are described as aggressive. That doesn’t automatically mean Leicester will dominate the duels, but it can shape the rhythm: Leicester may be more inclined to step in, tackle, and push the game into a series of contests. Sheffield United may prefer to control the tempo through the ball. When those two collide, you often get a match that alternates between smooth passages and sudden bursts of chaos.

And in a “fresh start” game, chaos has a habit of showing up uninvited.

The Numbers That Support the Story

The table positions provide the headline: Sheffield United are 17th with 29 points from 24 games, while Leicester City are 12th with 34 points from 24 games. That five-point gap is significant enough to matter but small enough that a good run can change the picture quickly.

Both teams have similar goal output in the league. Sheffield United have scored 33 in 24, Leicester 34 in 24. But the defensive record tilts the atmosphere. Sheffield United have conceded 37; Leicester have conceded 34. In the wider match set shown, Sheffield United’s conceded average is 1.56 per game, Leicester’s 1.44 per game. It suggests neither side has been living behind an impenetrable wall, which fits with the idea of a match that can swing on moments and errors.

Sheffield United’s overall Championship profile points to a team that can generate threat: 13.3 shots per game, with 51.8% possession and 77.9% pass accuracy. Their style of controlling games in the opposition’s half fits that. They are active. They get players forward. They create chances. But their weaknesses list is a warning label about how fragile those advantages can feel if the game opens up.

Leicester’s attacking approach is a little different in shape but similar in intention. They average 11.9 shots per game in the Championship, with 52.7% possession and 83.4% pass accuracy. That higher pass accuracy reflects their short-passing, possession-heavy identity. It also hints at why their “both teams scored” trend has been so persistent: Leicester can play, and they can score, but the games have been open.

That trend is explicit: in Leicester City’s last 7 Championship matches, both teams have scored — 7 out of 7. It suggests Leicester’s matches have been exchanges rather than one-sided exercises, and it matters here because Sheffield United have their own recent pattern of openness. Their last three all-competitions matches have had over 2.5 goals (3 out of 3), and they have scored two or more goals in each of those last three (3 out of 3). Again, that doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does support the idea that Sheffield United have been finding ways to hurt teams lately.

The passing and possession breakdown across the broader match set also shows how close these sides can be in terms of control. Sheffield United average 404.6 passes per game with 52% possession and 78% accuracy, while Leicester average 441.36 passes per game with 53% possession and 84% accuracy. That’s a neat summary of the stylistic contrast: Leicester slightly more ball-heavy and cleaner in completion; Sheffield United slightly more direct in terms of attacking emphasis, particularly down the right.

Then there are the set-piece-related numbers that hint at where pressure might build. Sheffield United average 7.08 corners per game (177 in 25 matches), while Leicester’s comparable figure shown is 5.12 (128 in 25). Corners aren’t automatically chances, but they are repeated opportunities to stress a weakness — and Leicester’s defensive set-piece weakness is clearly flagged.

Finally, the head-to-head trend in away fixtures leans one way: Leicester are on a run of four consecutive away wins against Sheffield United in all competitions. Yet the most recent meeting saw Sheffield United win 3-2 at Leicester. Put those together and you get a match-up where historical patterns exist, but recent evidence shows they can be broken when one side catches fire early.

Key “Moments” to Watch

Start with the obvious: the pockets behind Leicester’s double pivot. If O’Hare is receiving cleanly, Sheffield United’s attacking line can click into place. O’Hare’s 5 assists speak to his ability to make others better, and with Bamford’s 5 goals in limited minutes, the connection between those two could become a defining subplot. One perfectly-weighted pass, one sharp movement, and suddenly Leicester are running back towards their own goal.

Then there’s the right flank battle. Sheffield United’s style points to attacking down the right. Leicester’s weaknesses include defending against attacks down the wings. That looks like a natural pressure point. Seriki’s 3 assists and Hamer’s tendency to shoot could make that channel busy, especially if Brooks tucks in and creates space for overlaps.

On Leicester’s side, Fatawu is the headline moment-maker. 7 assists is not an accident. It suggests repeated quality in the final pass and repeated involvement in chance creation. Sheffield United’s “very weak” tag against skillful players puts a spotlight on any one-v-one situations Fatawu can engineer, whether that’s isolating a full-back or dragging a midfielder into an uncomfortable decision.

Another moment theme is late midfield runs. Jordan James has 7 goals, and that scoring output from midfield can hurt a side like Sheffield United if their attention is fixed on the obvious threats out wide and in the striker role. If James arrives unmarked around the edge of the area while the defence is occupied with Ayew and runners, Leicester can create good looks without needing to force a low-percentage cross.

Then come the dead balls — and they might be loud. Sheffield United are strong in attacking set pieces and aerial duels. Leicester are weak in defending set pieces and aerial duels, and very weak at avoiding fouling in dangerous areas. Those ingredients can produce a match where the foul count in certain zones becomes as important as open play. A needless clip, a late tackle, an arm across a runner: the sort of thing that seems minor until you are defending the delivery into a crowded box.

Finally, keep an eye on game state. Sheffield United are labelled very weak at protecting the lead. Leicester are weak at stopping opponents from creating chances and weak at defending set pieces. If one side scores first, it doesn’t necessarily shut the match down; it might open it. That can make the second goal feel bigger than usual, because it either calms the nerves or drags the game into that chaotic back-and-forth that both teams have flirted with in recent weeks.

What could go wrong with this read? Plenty. A match can ignore the tidy match-ups if the finishing goes cold or if one team scores from a moment that doesn’t fit the script — a scruffy rebound, a deflection, a keeper’s misjudgement, a loose clearance. Both sides are tagged as weak for individual errors in their characteristics, and in games like this, one mistake can hijack the whole tactical story.

Best Bet for Sheffield United vs Leicester City

Both Teams to Score – Yes

The “Both Teams to Score” market stands out as the most compelling option because both sides carry potent attacking threats that directly exploit each other’s specific defensive vulnerabilities. Leicester City have seen both teams score in all of their last seven Championship matches—a 100% record that underlines their inability to keep clean sheets despite scoring consistently. They average 11.9 shots per game and have netted 34 league goals, but their defensive record (34 conceded) and specific weaknesses in aerial duels and set pieces leave them permanently open to conceding.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, are in a rich vein of scoring form, having netted two or more goals in each of their last three matches across all competitions. Their recent 3-0 and 4-0 home victories demonstrate a team finding its rhythm at Bramall Lane. Crucially, they possess strong aerial capability—Japhet Tanganga wins 4.5 aerials per game—which targets Leicester’s identified weakness in that area. However, the Blades are also flagged as “very weak” at defending counter-attacks and protecting leads, which invites Leicester’s creative players like Abdul Fatawu (7 assists) to find gaps in transition.

Recent history reinforces this expectation of goals. The reverse fixture in late November was a 3-2 thriller, and Sheffield United’s last three games have all featured over 2.5 goals. With both teams averaging over 50% possession and neither side comfortable sitting deep to defend a lead, the tactical dynamics point heavily towards an open, end-to-end contest where clean sheets will be a rarity.

What could go wrong While the stats point to goals, a sudden drop in finishing efficiency could derail this bet. If Patrick Bamford or Jordan Ayew have an off day in front of goal, or if either goalkeeper—Michael Cooper for United or Stolarczyk for Leicester—has a standout performance, the scoreline could stay surprisingly low. Additionally, if Leicester decide to play conservatively to arrest their away form slump, the game could become tighter than the data suggests.

Correct Score Lean Sheffield United’s home momentum (three wins in last six) gives them the edge, but their defensive fragility suggests they won’t shut Leicester out. A 2-1 victory for the Blades aligns with their recent scoring form and Leicester’s habit of finding the net even in defeat.

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