09/19/2020 - 9:00
Clarín.com
sports
In an exciting duel from start to finish, Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United defeated Fulham 4-3 at home for the second round of the Premier League and thus secured their first points in the tournament.
Five thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight days had elapsed since Leeds had last played at Elland Road for the Premier League.
More than 16 years had passed since the 3 to 3 tie with Charlton Athletic on May 8, 2004. Decline, institutional crisis and resurgence passed in this time until this return, which occurred without an audience in the stands due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Faced with a rival who also returned to the top flight this season (he achieved promotion by winning the playoff against Brentford), the local came out determined from the first minute to leave behind the 4 to 3 defeat he had suffered in the debut against champion Liverpool at Anfield and the elimination of the League Cup against Hull City, from the third division (lost on penalties on Wednesday).
Marcelo Bielsa greets the few present in one of the stalls on Elland Road.
(Photo: Carl Recine / AP)
When barely four minutes had elapsed, the Bielsa cast took the lead: after a corner from the right by Kalvin Phillips, Joe Bryan missed a header and left the ball served to the Portuguese Hélder Costa, who beat the goalkeeper French Alphonse Areola with a powerful left foot from a fairly tight angle.
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Helder Costa and a remote control at 4 PT for Leeds 1-0 against Fulham.pic.twitter.com/Lg94oTjFpB
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
Despite the quick advantage, the work was not easy for Leeds, since Fulham did not lose his calm, handled the ball well, had some approaches to the rival area and, in one of them, reached parity: Joe Bryan reached the bottom by the left, Robin Koch went to the ground to try to snatch the ball from him and the left-back dropped.
Referee Anthony Taylor charged a penalty and Aleksandar Mitrovic changed it for a goal in the 34th minute.
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Mitrovic's penalty draw for Fulham at 34 PT. Pic.twitter.com/toc7OOQvb6
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
But the local returned to the front and also thanks to a penalty.
At 40 minutes, Patrick Bamford went to fetch an aerial ball and Bryan, who was involved in all the decisive plays of the first chapter, pushed him gently with his right arm, but enough for Taylor to call the foul.
The Polish Mateusz Klich, coldly, converted the 2 to 1.
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At 40 PT, Klich scored, also from a penalty, 2-1 against Fulham.pic.twitter.com/Rv1w4HgKWy
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
At the start of the complement and already with the Welshman Tyler Roberts in the field, replacing the Spanish Rodrigo Moreno (of poor performance), the local stretched his income with a goal for which a precise deep pass from Klich and a definition were combined to the career of Bamford, the team's leading scorer last season.
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Bamford, 5 ST and second goal in two games this Premier.
Leeds 3 - Fulham 1.pic.twitter.com/nBGo1wSizO
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
At 11 minutes, Bielsa's team turned their victory into a landslide with a maneuver that was born at the feet of French goalkeeper Illan Meslier, followed by a head touch from Phillips, stretched in an overflow to the left of Bamford and ended with a shot to the right angle by Hélder Costa.
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Armed for Bamford, second for Helder Costa.
Leeds goal, 4-1 against Fulham.pic.twitter.com/m08mdCqZ2A
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
Game over?
No, far from it.
Because Leeds fell asleep and Fulham, who never threw in the towel, first discounted with a cross right hand from Bobby De Cordova-Reid and then took a shot with a header from the tough Serbian Mitrovic.
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Reid's Discount at 17 ST.
Now Leeds beat Fulham 4-2.
pic.twitter.com/BXGtV2VDBj
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
.
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Whoa!
At 22 st, new Fulham discount.
Mitrovic second and 4-3 Leeds in front.pic.twitter.com/iVBJWLv3IL
- Ovacion24 (@ ovacion24) September 19, 2020
The last minutes were bizarre, with less rigor in the brand, a lot of dynamics and risk in both areas.
The uncertainty surrounding the result remained until the final whistle of Anthony Taylor.
Only then could Leeds celebrate their first victory in this edition of the Premier League.
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