English FA CUP

2026-03-08 - Leeds United vs Norwich City

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Leeds United v Norwich City
Football: English FA Cup Fifth Round
Sunday 8th March 2026 - Kick Off 4:30pm
This game is live on TV

Leeds United

Daniel Farke stated that he is not concerning himself with results being earned by relegation rivals and instead focusing on his own Leeds United team after consecutive home defeats by the same 0-1 scoreline. Some pressure has been put on by West Ham United and Nottingham Forest picking up big away points during the week, but Leeds United are still in some control of their own destiny.

It has been over twenty years since Leeds United reached the FA Cup Quarter Final and they have only reached the Fifth Round of the competition a handful of times in that stretch. There is no doubt that the Premier League is the priority, but Leeds United fans will be arriving at Elland Road expecting to see a positive result and Leeds United have Knocked Out two Championship clubs already in Derby County and Birmingham City.

Leeds United have only won 1 of the last 8 games in all competitions in normal time, while those back to back defeats to Manchester City and Sunderland at Elland Road will have stung. Those results mean Leeds United have lost 3 of the last 4 at Elland Road and all without troubling the scoreboard.

Noah Okafor is set to miss out, but will be hoping to rejoin the squad next week. The manager has options to rotate his team if he wants to just freshen things up for this Cup tie.

Norwich City

Between 2012 and 2022, Norwich City spent six seasons in the Premier League and five in the Championship, but they are about to conclude a fourth straight campaign in the second tier over the next two months. The big disappointment for the fans is that Norwich City have not really threatened to return to the Premier League in that time and a poor start to this campaign had The Canaries staring down at League One instead.

Liam Manning was Sacked and Philippe Clement has come in to settle things down at Carrow Road with Norwich City up into 17th place in the Championship and 11 points clear of the relegation zone. That will allow the team to take a serious approach to the FA Cup and Norwich City have beaten Walsall and West Brom in the competition, albeit both in home ties.

Norwich City have won 11 of the last 15 games in all competitions, although the exceptions have all ended in defeat. The side have won 5 of the last 6 away games in all competitions, which has helped Norwich City move clear of the bottom three in the Championship, and they have suffered the one defeat in that run at promotion chasing Middlesbrough.

Head to Head

Last season Leeds United took four points from Norwich City in the Championship and the majority were earned from a 2-0 win at Elland Road.

Leeds United have won the last 4 at Elland Road against this opponent.

Prediction

A month ago there might have been a different feeling about how things were going in the League to give the teams a different approach to any FA Cup tie.

Back then Leeds United looked to be moving clear of the bottom three in the Premier League, while Norwich City would have been looking over their shoulders in the Championship.

In early March, the Leeds United form has just slipped and Norwich City are motoring and that makes this a more awkward tie than when the draw was made for the Fifth Round of the Cup.

Despite that, Leeds United should be too strong at Elland Road where they have been creating big chances, but perhaps a little wasteful in the final third. They should give Norwich City plenty to think about when they go forward, although The Canaries will offer a threat of their own having picked up their levels under Philippe Clement.

Wins in 11 of 15 games in all competition will provide ample momentum and Norwich City may look to exploit any nerves in the home camp.

Norwich City have a recent away win at the Racecourse Ground, which will give them belief, but the majority of the away wins over the last several weeks have been at relegation threatened clubs.

They have not enjoyed visits to Elland Road over recent years and Leeds United may have enough quality to earn themselves a spot in the FA Cup Quarter Final before two very important Premier League games to be played this month.