Leeds United 2-0 Sheffield United: Championship – as it happened
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Here’s Will Unwin's coverage from Elland Road. Thanks for tuning in. Have a great night!
Reflections from the goal scorers after the match, beginning with Pascal Struijk: “This is a huge victory for us. We anticipated that this match would be quite challenging. I'm glad we managed to find a way to defeat them today. It's still early to pay attention to the standings, but we can only move forward from here.”
Mateo Joseph expressed his feelings by saying, "I'm really happy to contribute to the team's success and earn those three points; it's a payoff for all the effort we put in." The forward also netted three goals for Spain's Under-21 team earlier this week. He added, "I was eager to get involved… I'm thrilled with how this past week went, and I plan to keep putting in the effort."
Leeds Secures 2-0 Win Over Sheffield United
It was a tough match, but Leeds has rightfully come out on top in this Yorkshire derby, scoring with a set-piece goal from Pascal Struijk and sealing the victory with a late goal from Mateo Joseph. Sheffield United's unbeaten run comes to an end here; they simply couldn't hold off their local rivals this evening.
94 minutes: Ao Tanaka receives the man of the match award for his outstanding performance in midfield. His partner, Joe Rothwell, who provided the corner that led to the first goal, also deserves recognition for his contribution.
93 minutes: Campbell's cross slips past Moore, and it looks like that’s likely the end of the match.
Piroe makes way for Patrick Bamford, and Firpo is substituted by Sam Byram. The excited home crowd calls out, “Wilder, what’s the score?” followed by a spirited chant of “one team in Yorkshire.” If Leeds can net one more goal this evening, they’ll move closer to the top of the standings.
With just five tense minutes of stoppage time to go, Piroe makes a perfect pass, and Joseph manages to keep Peck at bay before sliding the ball past Cooper. It’s an efficient counterattack resulting in a decisive goal.
Leeds Secures 2-0 Victory Over Sheffield United
It’s no longer important because Mateo Joseph has secured the win for Leeds!
89 minutes: Given the recent events at Sunderland, Meslier will be eager to get through the remaining stoppage time without letting any goals in.
87 minutes gone: There have only been three yellow cards in this so-called derby match—two for players arguing with the officials and one for delaying the game. Is this a throwback to Serie A in the 1990s?
85 minutes into the game: A well-placed corner kick aimed at the far post has Meslier concerned, but the goalkeeper manages to get a hand on it, sending the ball out for a corner. The following corner is only partly cleared, and Arblaster’s cross attempt is stopped by Tanaka. In a dramatic show, the Blades midfielder makes a big fuss about wanting a penalty and ends up receiving a yellow card for his efforts.
83 minutes into the match: Currently, Leeds is set to move ahead of their rivals and secure second place, trailing only Sunderland, who will be playing against Hull on Sunday. However, before that happens, either Burnley or West Brom could take over the top position with a victory on Saturday. The race is wide open!
Returning to tonight's match, Junior Firpo receives a yellow card for delaying the game.
80 minutes in: It’s a messy phase of the match as Leeds manage to keep Sheffield United at bay. Rhian Brewster could make a difference now, coming on for Vini Souza, who picked up a yellow card tonight and will be sidelined for the next match against Middlesbrough.
78 minutes: Mateo Joseph is called up from the Leeds substitutes, taking the place of Ramazani. This likely means Piroe will move into a deeper position, while James and Solomon will play on the flanks.
76 minutes: Manor Solomon and Anel Amhedhodzic have a brief chat following their tussle for the ball. Sheffield United makes another substitution, bringing on Jesurun Rak-Sakyi in place of Rhys Norrington-Davies in a move aimed at boosting their offense.
74 minutes: Kieffer Moore, who hasn't done much other than cause some disruption, attempts to reach a long cross – but Meslier easily grabs it.
72 minutes in: Sheffield United has 20 minutes to equalize. They can feel hopeful after their performance leading up to the goal and still have some offensive players available on the bench.
Sheffield United's impressive run of six games without letting in a goal has come to an end, thanks to Leeds scoring their first goal from a set-piece in 21 matches. Rothwell set it up with a smart low cross directed at Struijk near the front post, who successfully finished it by sending the bouncing ball into the top of the net!
Leeds Secures Win Against Sheffield United: 1-0
From the side, Pascal Struijk puts Leeds in the lead!
67 minutes: Leeds is making some substitutions as Dan James and Manor Solomon come on for Aaronson and Gnonto, who had just earned the home team a corner kick.
66 minutes: The offensive push slows down as Sheffield United is called out for a foul during the corner kick. At first glance, it looks like nothing unusual is happening, something you might expect to see at the Emirates.
65 minutes in: It looked like they were managing to hold on, but the substitutions have injected new energy into Sheffield United. They almost scored again when Arblaster took a long-range shot that Joe Rodon managed to deflect out for a corner.
63 minutes: Sheffield United finally gets an opportunity after a long wait. A bad pass from Rodon creates a chance for Burrows, who passes the ball back and forth with Moore. However, Rodon makes up for his earlier mistake by stopping the shot.
61 minutes: Sheffield United makes three substitutions – Alfie Gilchrist, Tyrese Campbell, and Sydie Peck come on for Shackleton, O'Hare, and Hamer.
At the 60-minute mark, Vini Souza pretends to show an imaginary yellow card to the referee, urging him to penalize Junior Firpo. However, it's Souza who ends up receiving a booking for his antics, thanks to his gesture with the imaginary card.
In the 59th minute, Gnonto shows off some skill on the right side, and his cross takes a few deflections before reaching Firpo. He tries to volley it but misses completely. Firpo regains possession but then falls over easily, yet the referee ignores his complaints.
57 minutes in: O'Hare nearly catches a lucky bounce right at the edge of the box, but Leeds clear the danger. Gnonto then earns a free kick, prompting sarcastic cheers from the home supporters. Leeds counter quickly, and Aaronson makes a run into the box but can only manage to secure a corner with a flick aimed at goal.
56 minutes: Ramazani is flagged for clipping Ahmedhodzic, but he avoids a yellow card. This seems to be the first challenge in this gradually unfolding derby that could have warranted a booking.
In just 55 minutes on the field, Tanaka has made a significant impact in the Leeds midfield. He's shown excellent passing skills during the buildup and has also been quick to return to defense when needed.
53 minutes in: Piroe takes a long-range shot from 30 yards out, but looking back, he might think twice about it. Sheffield United has impressively kept a clean sheet for 11 straight hours in the league.
51 minutes: I'm not convinced about how well this Sheffield United formation is working. Both Burrows and Shackleton seem uncertain in defense and haven't contributed much when they venture upfield.
49 minutes: After a slow beginning, Leeds manages to set up another promising chance. Firpo delivers a well-placed cross, but Aaronson, attempting to score as the ball bounces off Gnonto, ends up sending it high into the jubilant away supporters.
46 minutes: A careless pass from Arblaster nearly allows Leeds to break away, but Piroe isn’t able to reach the swift through ball.
We're back in action. Let’s score some goals!
There's some heartbreaking news from Blackpool: Steve Bruce will not be attending Saturday's match due to the passing of his four-month-old grandson, Madison.
The game was still scoreless at halftime, but Leeds has looked stronger since the first ten minutes of a sluggish start. It seems like it’s just a matter of time before they find the back of the net, unless Chris Wilder decides to make some adjustments. Stay tuned for more updates.
47 minutes: Leeds creates another opportunity, but Aaronson fires Firpo’s cross just wide at the near post. And that wraps up the first half.
In the 45th minute, Aaronson moves back to receive the ball and attempts to deliver a cross to Piroe. However, the opposing defenders manage to handle it well. Piroe has had a tough time finding space, as he’s being closely marked by some imposing center-backs.
In the 43rd minute, Norrington-Davies stepped in to stop Gnonto during the last play. Replay footage reveals that the bouncing ball hit his arm right before he cleared it away. It's a decision you wouldn't want to see given, unless, of course, you're a supporter of Leeds.
42 minutes: Gnonto attempts to maneuver past three or four defenders and nearly succeeds, but then quickly receives the ball back from Kieffer Moore. His attempt to shoot is thwarted by Norrington-Davies, leaving Moore, who could only stand there in disbelief after losing the ball, relieved for the block.
41 minutes in: O'Hare shows some frustration as a lengthy pass takes too long to be delivered, causing him to stray offside. Sheffield United still hasn't managed to generate a shot on target, or anything remotely resembling one.
39 minutes: Following a brief pause for drinks as Ramazani received medical attention, Leeds found an opportunity when Michael Cooper's poor clearance landed at Aaronson's feet. He took a shot, challenged by Souza, but it was already heading off target before Cooper managed to get a slight touch on it.
In the 36th minute, referee Lewis Smith frustrates the home crowd again by refusing to award a free kick after Norrington-Davies fouls Ramazani. As it turns out, he made the correct call—Ramazani went down far too easily and then rolled back onto the field to halt the game.
