Written by Tommy Mortimer
Leeds United take on Leicester City in the Premier League for the first time since 2004 tonight, hoping to build on their impressive 0-3 victory against Aston Villa last time out. Leicester also come into this game high in confidence following their 0-1 win over Arsenal in their most recent Premier League fixture. Both sides have an opportunity to break into the top 4 with a win tonight.
STARTING LINEUPS
KICK-OFF
We’re underway at Elland Road.
Embed from Getty Images2 mins: Hélder Costa sends in a wonderfully floated ball to the back post which is nodded back across goal by Jack Harrison but Patrick Bamford’s tame header on goal is comfortably caught by Kasper Schmeichel. You would’ve put your house on Bamford to hit the back of the net there given the form he’s in.
GOAL! LEEDS UNITED 0-1 LEICESTER CITY (BARNES 2)
Robin Koch’s attempted backwards pass is intercepted by Jamie Vardy who rounds the keeper and cuts it back for Harvey Barnes to tap home into an empty net. Cracking start for the away side.
Embed from Getty Images8 mins: Vardy slides a wonderful pass into the path of Barnes who takes one touch too many and is smothered well by Illan Meslier.
11 mins: Barnes tries his luck from just outside the box and sees his curling effort tipped over the bar for a corner by Meslier.
18 mins: Leeds are starting to enjoy a bit more possession now but still haven’t created anything of note since Bamford’s early chance.
GOAL! LEEDS UNITED 0-2 LEICESTER CITY (TIELEMANS 21)
Vardy’s diving header from a tremendous Marc Albrighton cross is parried straight into the path of Youri Tielemans who lashes the ball into the bottom corner from 6 yards.
Embed from Getty Images30 mins: Vardy and Barnes have been razor sharp in this opening 30 mins. They’ve linked up really effectively with each other and look like scoring every time they go forward. The Leeds defenders are terrified of them.
38 mins: Luke Ayling finds Bamford with a lovely threaded ball through the heart of the Leicester defence but the striker’s first touch is loose and Schmeichel rushes out to smother him.
44 mins: Leicester’s defensive shape is looking really solid and organised. Leeds are finding it very hard to break them down here.
HALF-TIME
Leeds United 0-2 Leicester City
Leicester head into half-time with a deserved two goal lead. Their counter attacking football has been absolutely devastating in this opening 45 minutes. Leeds will certainly be rueing Bamford’s missed chance right at the start of the match.
SECOND-HALF BEGINS
The action has resumed here at Elland Road. Marcelo Bielsa opts for a half-time change with Ian Poveda coming on for Jamie Shackleton.
GOAL! LEEDS UNITED 1-2 LEICESTER CITY (DALLAS 48)
Stuart Dallas’ attempted cross from deep evades everyone and goes all the way through into the bottom corner. The perfect start to the second half for the home side. Game on.
Embed from Getty Images50 mins: Dallas is the first player to go into the referee’s book following a late challenge on Albrighton.
55 mins: Pablo Hernández strikes the crossbar with a sensational effort from just outside the box. The veteran Spaniard is really unlucky not to find the top corner there.
63 mins: Brendan Rodgers makes Leicester’s first change of the night with Dennis Praet making way for James Maddison.
67 mins: Another change for the home side sees Tyler Roberts come on for Hernández, who doesn’t appear best pleased at being taken off.
69 mins: Barnes works himself a bit of space on the edge of the box to get a shot away but his effort is comfortably caught by Meslier.
70 mins: Another change for Leicester as Cengiz Ãœnder is introduced in place of Barnes.
74 mins: Penalty shout for Leeds as Ayling goes down under a challenge from Christian Fuchs but the referee waves it away – and rightly so. There’s absolutely no contact and Ayling is lucky to escape a booking for diving.
GOAL! LEEDS UNITED 1-3 LEICESTER CITY (VARDY 76)
Ãœnder makes an early impact by squaring the ball for Vardy who taps home into an empty net to give Leicester a two goal cushion against the run of play. The original pass into Ãœnder by Maddison was delightful.
Embed from Getty Images81 mins: Leeds make their final change of the evening with Ezgjan Alioski coming on to replace their goalscorer Dallas.
83 mins: Ünder sends Vardy 1 on 1 with the keeper with a defence splitting pass but the striker’s attempted dink bounces wide of Meslier’s post.
84 mins: Luke Thomas is handed a yellow card for bringing down Poveda.
85 mins: Leicester make their final change of the night as Wes Morgan comes on in place of Vardy.
88 mins: Penalty shout for the away side this time as Maddison falls to the ground after Mateusz Klich clipped his foot from behind. The referee however is unmoved. This one may be checked by VAR…
90 mins: PENALTY FOR LEICESTER! After being instructed to go over to the VAR monitor to have another look at Klich’s challenge, Andre Marriner rightly points to the spot. Good use of VAR, that.
Embed from Getty ImagesGOAL! LEEDS UNITED 1-4 LEICESTER CITY (TIELEMANS PEN 90+1)
Tielemans emphatically sends Meslier the wrong way from the spot to help himself to his second of the night and practically guarantee all 3 points for the Foxes.
Embed from Getty ImagesFULL-TIME
Leeds United 1-4 Leicester City
Leicester thrash Leeds 1-4 in a fantastic away performance which sees them climb to 2nd in the table and leapfrog the likes of Chelsea and Spurs. Leeds threatened to get back into the game with a sustained period of pressure in the second-half, but Leicester were ultimately great value for their 3 points in a highly entertaining game under the lights at Elland Road.
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