Report: Leeds United 1-1 Villarreal CF | OneFootball

Pre-season Friendly

Leeds United 1 (Piroe 67’)

Villarreal CF 1 (Eyong 62’)

Leeds: Darlow (GK) (Meslier (GK) 46’), Schmidt (Byram 63’), Rodon, Struijk (Bijol 46’), Gudmundsson, Ampadu (C), Longstaff (Gruev 46’), Stach (Tanaka 63’), Gnonto (Ramazani 63’), Nmecha (Piroe 46’), Aaaronson (Gray 81’). Subs not used: Cairns (GK), Chadwick, Crew.

Referee: Sam Barrott

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: 35,273

Leeds United continued their pre-season schedule with a draw against Spanish outfit Villarreal CF at Elland Road as Joël Piroe’s second half goal cancelled out an earlier opener from the visitors.

Having already faced Manchester United and two German sides so far this summer, Daniel Farke named a strong starting lineup in West Yorkshire, handing first home outings to new signings Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff, Anton Stach and Lukas Nmecha.

The visitors brought quality themselves. Several household names including Spanish internationals Yeremy Pino and Gerard Moreno were used from the off, alongside former Whites’ loanee Alfonso Pedraza who settled for a place on the bench.

With Elland Road basked in glorious sunshine, Leeds started impressively and a first chance presented itself when Longstaff did well to make an interception and picked out the run of Nmecha with a deft chipped pass over the Villarreal backline.

From a narrow angle, the forward drilled a low strike towards goal which was dealt with by Luiz Júnior. A yellow shirt then stooped to head away a dangerous Gudmundsson delivery before Nmecha could pounce as United searched for the early advantage.

The La Liga side, seeing less of the ball than they are perhaps familiar with in the opening stages, were quick to break whenever they wrestled back possession however and almost took the lead through Pino, denied by a fine one-on-one intervention from Karl Darlow.

Pascal Struijk was then well placed to divert a deflected Pino delivery away from danger, as the quick tempo of the first half continued.

Approaching the break, the Whites worked the ball cleverly into the area through Isaac Schmidt and the lively Brenden Aaaronson. Falling the way of Nmecha on the turn, Júnior showed impressive reflexes once more to parry a low strike away from danger.

An arrowed Stach delivery, inches beyond the reach of the outstretched Joe Rodon, then flashed agonisingly beyond the far post with the opening period seeing a flurry of chances as it drew to a close.

Darlow was again busy moments prior to the half-time whistle sounding, tipping a powerful Moreno header over the upright.

HALF TIME: Leeds United 0-0 Villarreal CF

Farke’s side emerged from the break with the manager having made four changes to the personnel. Illan Meslier replaced Darlow between the posts, as well as Jaka Bijol, Ilia Gruev and Piroe also entering the action.

Bijol was immediately involved seconds into his maiden Elland Road appearance, making a crucial challenge to dispossess Villarreal substitute Tajon Buchanan. Meslier then made a sprawling save to smother an opening for Etta Eyong at the back post.

The visitors took the lead in fortunate circumstances just after the hour mark. Meslier had made a sublime point-blank save to tip Moreno’s close-range header onto the bar though Eyong was well placed to bundle home.

Within moments, however, United drew level with birthday boy Piroe continuing his impressive pre-season campaign with a predatory finish!

Aaronson initially had done superbly to lose his marker and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Narrowly missing the Dutch forward the front post, a poor touch from Santiago Mouriño then landed at the feet of the striker who found the back of the net!

The match had grown into a real end-to-end affair and Bijol’s services were then called upon, diving in the way of a powerfully struck Pau Cabanes shot after low cross from Canadian international Buchanan.

In the dying moments, an inventive flicked header by the freshly introduced Harry Gray cannoned off the crossbar after a fingertip save from the visitors’ replacement keeper Diego Conde, with the full-time whistle bringing an important workout for Farke’s squad to an end shortly afterwards.

FULL TIME: Leeds United 1-1 Villarreal CF