Leeds United secured a 2-0 away win over Cardiff City on Saturday, but the performance was less than ideal considering the advantage. Moreover, one stat notes that the Whites should’ve had at least another goal.
Cardiff City defender Joel Bagan earned a straight red card after committing a last-man foul in the 23rd minute. Leeds quickly made the most of their one-man edge as Largie Ramazani scored in the 30th minute, and the away side took a 1-0 lead.
Many expected Leeds to handle a struggling Bluebirds side easily in the second half, but that didn’t happen. The Whites managed just four shots during that period. However, in the 87th minute, substitute Joël Piroe found the back of the net, securing an important insurance goal.
Best xG performers last weekend
Playmaker stats revealed on X the clubs in the EFL’s top four tiers that had the best xG performance from this past weekend’s action. Leeds were in the No. 5 spot behind Crewe Alexandra, Fulham, Tottenham, and Bolton Wanderers.
📈Best xG performers last weekend (top four tiers):
3.79: 💥BOLTON💥
3.68: Tottenham
2.95: Fulham
2.74: Crewe
2.53: Leeds#bwfc pic.twitter.com/131avY31yq— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) September 23, 2024
Leeds manager Daniel Farke noted that he’s concerned over the squad’s inability to finish off their scoring chances that allowed Cardiff City to remain in the contest until the latter stages of the second half.
“So, our conversion rate, our effectiveness in using the chances, was again [on Saturday] more or less the only thing I could criticise,” Farke told Leeds’ official website.
“There is no doubt about this and we will keep going on addressing it because we have to improve this. But apart from that, it was a really, really good away performance and definitely also well deserved.”
It will be interesting to see if Leeds can prove that the contest against the Bluebirds was a one off and they can finish off their scoring chances, especially against bad teams where they can rack up points.
The Whites will turn their attention to another struggling team in the Championship in Coventry City in hopes of securing three points and narrowing the gap between the top two spots. The Whites will host the Sky Blues next Saturday and are expected to be favorites in this matchup.