Leeds United moved back to the summit of the Championship table with a 2-0 win over Millwall at Elland Road on Wednesday night. The result eased the pressure on Leeds, who came into this game after dropping five points in their previous two league fixtures. Daniel Farke’s men were under some stress to get all three points and they responded with a professional performance against Millwall at home. Alex Neil’s side fancied their chances after beating Leeds twice earlier in the season but they encountered a more determined home side who were desperate to get their season back on track.
The Whites wanted to start well at Elland Road to make the home fans feel at ease and they did exactly that when they scored in the fifth minute via a Jake Cooper own goal.
Leeds threatened to score more in the first half but a combination of some last-ditch defending, some good goalkeeping and some profligate finishing, the score remained 1-0 at the break.
They were again the better side in the second half and continued to threaten the Millwall penalty box but it took a sumptuous Ao Tanaka striker from outside the box to settle the nerves of the home fans in the 85th minute.
Leeds were by far the better team against a Millwall side who failed to register a shot on goal in the 90 minutes and only had 39 percent of the ball.
Neil was having some fun at the expense of Leeds ahead of the game but the Millwall boss was made to acknowledge how good the Whites are following a thoroughly one-sided game.
No surprise Leeds United are at the top – the Millwall boss
Millwall beat Leeds 1-0 at the Den in November before knocking the Whites out of the FA Cup at Elland Road last month. The two results gave the away side some false confidence ahead of the game.
Leeds didn’t allow the Lions to even land a glove on them during the 90 minutes and the 2-0 scoreline didn’t really reflect the way the Whites dominated the game at Elland Road.
Neil acknowledged that Leeds have top players throughout their team, in every position, which has made them the ultimate contenders for promotion this season.
He admitted that given the quality the Whites have in their ranks, it is no surprise that they are sitting at the summit of the Championship standings this season.
“Whenever you’re a team that wants to get promoted, you look at the three facets of your team, the forward line, your midfield line, your back line”, Neil was quoted as saying by Southwark News.
“What Leeds have got is they’ve got top six players in their back line, top six players in their midfield, top six players in their front line. You’ve got that, you’re not far away.
“They’ve got a manager who knows the course, has been promoted, knows what it looks like. So when you put all that together, it’s no surprise where they are.”
Leeds have humbled Alex Neil
Millwall’s two wins over Leeds earlier in the season deserved credit but there were extenuating circumstances, which explained why the Whites lost.
When they lost at the Den in November, Leeds were struggling away from home and were dropping points on the road left, right and centre against all sorts of teams.
Daniel Farke named a rotated team in the FA Cup clash against Millwall and it was clear the Leeds boss was more focused on preserving his top players for the league.
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Leeds played their best available eleven on Wednesday night at Elland Road and the difference in quality between the two sides was as clear as night and day.
The Whites outplayed Neil’s side across the board and Millwall never really threatened the Leeds defence during the 90 minutes at Elland Road.
The Millwall boss was having some fun talking about his side’s two wins over Leeds ahead of the game, but he was served humble pie on a nice spring evening in west Yorkshire.
