Bielsa delighted as Leeds fire home four at Burnley | OneFootball

Icon: Tribal Football

Tribal Football

·15 May 2021

Bielsa delighted as Leeds fire home four at Burnley

Article image:Bielsa delighted as Leeds fire home four at Burnley

Leeds United continued a strong finish to their first season back in the Premier League with an impressive victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Mateusz Klich curled in from the edge of the penalty area shortly before half-time and Jack Harrison's flicked finish from Ezgjan Alioski's strike after 60 minutes all but sealed the three points.


OneFootball Videos


Substitute Rodrigo then scored twice in three second-half minutes to complete a fine away win, producing a delightful chip over Bailey Peacock-Farrell for his first before rounding the Clarets keeper for Leeds' fourth.

With their Premier League safety confirmed by victory over Fulham on Monday, Burnley made a confident start but it was Patrick Bamford who went closest in the opening 10 minutes as he forced Peacock-Farrell, in for the absent Nick Pope, into action.

Charlie Taylor produced an excellent sliding block to deny Raphinha as the visitors gained a foothold, and the Brazilian forward was unable to execute an instinctive over-head attempt prior to Klich's opener.

Matej Vydra was thwarted by the outstretched leg of Illan Meslier as Burnley pushed for an equaliser, before a dominant end to the contest ensured Marcelo Bielsa's side remain on course for a top-half finish.

Bielsa said afterwards, "In the first half we insisted until we managed to score, defended well, in the second half we didn't defend as well but we were efficient and had chances at goal.

"Big spaces it's easier to attack, and when the opponent is losing they take more risks, but as you can see we conceded chances in the second half that we didn't in the first."

On decision to bring Bamford off for Rodrigo, he added: "Rodrigo drops deep a bit more than Bamford, in the beginning of the second half we needed to link the defence with the attack more."

On goalkeeper Illan Meslier, Bielsa also said: "He's a goalkeeper who has grown throughout the campaign, you don't notice the age that he is because he looks a lot more experienced than his age."

View publisher imprint