Huddersfield Town will earn major Leeds United bragging rights despite relegation: View | OneFootball

It has been a season to forget for Huddersfield Town, with the Terriers looking likely, barring a miracle, to head down to League One for 2024/25 after last weekend's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City.

Their fixture against Ipswich Town this Saturday will be a decider at both ends of the table. If they win by an almost impossible goal margin, and other results go their way, they will stay up, but it's at the top end of the table where they will likely have an impact.

If they do indeed secure a win, by 10+ goals or not, they will open the door for bitter rivals Leeds United to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League with a win against Southampton.

However, if they lose or draw, meaning Ipswich pick up points, then they will be sending their rivals to the play-offs, where nothing is guaranteed.

Whilst Huddersfield will be disappointed by their own season's performance, it would at least give them some last day satisfaction seeing Leeds miss out on the top-two.

Beating Ipswich would cause a Leeds love-in

If the Terriers beat Ipswich, they are then throwing the door wide open to their rivals to go ahead and grab automatic promotion, and in doing so, create a weird love-in between the two clubs.

So often they are regarded as West Yorkshire rivals, but if Huddersfield do help Leeds out this coming weekend, most supporters from Elland Road will be left feeling a strange sense of happiness and love towards the Terriers.

Similar to what we saw back in 2020, when Huddersfield defeated West Brom to confirm Leeds' promotion back to the Premier League ahead of their penultimate game of the season against Derby County.

Ipswich favour will do little for Leeds feelings to Huddersfield

If a win does not materialise for Town against the Tractor Boys, they will still feel a sense of pride knowing that they will be sending their rivals into the mystery of the Championship play-offs.

Nothing is guaranteed in the play-offs, as Leeds have learned all too well in recent times, with a particular memory flashing back to their capitulation against Derby in 2019, a year before promotion. If Leeds are to be forced to go through play-off pain once again, this time by their rivals failing to do them a favour, you can guarantee there will be some smugness and hate across the county.

Hatred might already be boiling as Huddersfield's draw with the Whites in March may have inadvertently cost Leeds the chance of automatics, with that draw very much two points dropped.

Yes, the draw came amongst a huge winning run, but Leeds were fortunate in their derby game, able to face a ten-man side for the entire second half of that match following Jonathan Hogg's red card in first half stoppage time. Plus, Huddersfield went toe-to-toe with their rivals in the match when they were 11v11, making their hard tactics felt.

Daniel Farke remaining calm

Ahead of his side's game against Southampton this weekend, Leeds boss Daniel Farke admitted he hadn't felt that Leeds would topple Leicester and Ipswich to gain promotion this season from the point of September onwards, pointing to his side's lack of experience before giving a nod to Kieran McKenna.

As quoted by Leicestershire Live, the German said: "I would have said no chance of promotion, privately, in September.

"We did not buy success. I know it's more likely when you have experience. You know why Bayern is in the semis. They are experienced. Same with Real Madrid. They know you need experience.

"We are one of the youngest sides in the whole league. My starting midfield at QPR, [Ilia] Gruev is 23, first season here and Archie [Gray], 18, first season. I know we are not the finished product and make mistakes or get nervous and over-excited.

"[I am] struggling to criticise my players. I would not swap Archie with anyone in this league. More potential than any player in this league in this position. Kieran [McKenna] has done outstanding work.

"They play with [Sam] Morsy and [Massimo] Luongo, 34, and lads in these positions before. They know tactical fouls. Morsy with 14 yellows. You need this experience.

"I would have said in September how hard it would have been because of our average age.

"I don't want to buy experience for one season and then we go back down. We want to do it sustainably. If that means being patient, then so be it. I don't have it all that players have let me down. We still have a chance."

Farke isn't banging the drum about a favour from Huddersfield this weekend, he's very much focused on Leeds and what they need to do in beating Southampton - as he says "going for it".

However, that won't be the case inside Elland Road, with many fans sure to have an eye on Portman Road. The same will be of those Huddersfield supporters around the country, torn about whether they want to see Leeds suffer or their own team succeed. The bragging rights will be theirs either way, weirdly.