Saturday’s early kickoff in the Championship saw Elland Road play hosts to the Yorkshire Derby between Leeds United and Sheffield United.
There were more than bragging rights resting on this tie as although manager Marcelo Bielsa played down the significance of the affair, everyone knew the winner would take an advantage in the race for the automatic promotion spots in the second tier.
It was a bright start from Bielsa’s boys, dominating in our usual fashion and creating plenty of chances in the first half but the visitors finished strongly with a big chance of their own, however, neither side had drawn a save from the opposition goalkeeper.
Second half the game more exploded to life but despite utterly dominating still, we failed to get an effort on target. Sheffield United took the lead with just under 20 minutes remaining and with massive chances going begging and the woodwork saving them, in stoppage-time goalkeeper Kiko Casilla saw a straight red and an already injured Pontus Jansson ended up between the sticks – we’d used all three substitutes.
Despite our late onslaught, we couldn’t muster an answer and the only effort on goal from either side became the winner.
0-1, a defeat and a massive disappointment. It’s not a decider though, it just makes things tighter and although most may want to wait until Sunday, the spirit from the players remains a massive positive as they didn’t give up.
There will be questions about our clinical edge again though.
Elland Road
Championship
16/03/2019 1:30 pm
Attendance: 37004
Referee: Coote
| Leeds United | Sheffield United | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basham (71) | |||||||
| Casilla | Henderson | ||||||
| Ayling | 77 | Cranie | |||||
| Jansson | Egan | ||||||
| Cooper | O'Connell | ||||||
| Alioski | Baldock | ||||||
| Phillips | Basham | 92 | |||||
| Hernandez | Norwood | ||||||
| Roberts | Fleck | ||||||
| Klich | 77 | Stevens | |||||
| Harrison | 57 | Sharp | |||||
| Bamford | McGoldrick | 88 | |||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Peacock-Farrell | Lundstram | 92 | |||||
| Douglas | 57 | Dowell | 88 | ||||
| Dallas | 77 | Hogan | |||||
| Berardi | Coutts | ||||||
| Shackleton | Stearman | ||||||
| Clarke | 77 | Duffy | |||||
| Gotts | Moore | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 17 | Goal attempts | 10 |
| 0 | On Target | 1 |
| 3 | Corners | 6 |
| 9 | Fouls | 12 |
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 70 | % | 30 |