, Leeds United nail sixth-in-a-row as Huddersfield nilled – report and goals

Leeds United nail sixth-in-a-row as Huddersfield nilled – report and goals

Derby games always have that little added, extra spice about them. Many expected that to be the case today as Huddersfield Town and Leeds United clashed at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Before kick-off, feelings from both sets of supporters were more than a tad nervous. The visiting Whites entered the game as favourites against the struggling Terriers. United entered the game on the back of five consecutive wins. Town, meanwhile, had just one win in their last five games and received a 5-2 tanking last time out against Bristol City.

Both sets of fans knew ahead of kick-off that injuries would play a part in their respective sides, with reshuffles likely for both Huddersfield and Leeds. That proved to be the case, both sides having to rejig and readjust their line-ups for today.

The match – the tale of two halves

The opening salvoes of the game proved the old adage right that derby games are a great leveller between sides experiencing varied fortunes at different ends of the table. Huddersfield took the game to their visitors and, in truth, began to ask questions of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side. Both sides struggled to fit into their natural rhythm and get into their stride.

It was an even opening 45 minutes and both sides had good chances to break the deadlock. First Mateusz Klich (17′) played a Pablo Hernandez corner onto the post before Kiko Casilla (20′)acrobatically tipped over a goalbound Steve Mounie header at full stretch.

In all fairness, Huddersfield Town dictated the tempo of the opening half, forcing Leeds to dance to a different tune. It was something that that Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth alluded to with this full-time tweet:

The second 45 minutes saw the Whites spring to life and hit the Terriers early door. After a little Town pressure, it was their West Yorkshire visitors who opened the scoring through Gjanni Alioski (50′). A Helder Costa corner was headed out by a Town defender, only for Leeds’ madcap Macedonian to wallop it into the net with a full volley.

https://twitter.com/AztecLUFC/status/1203309430932037632?s=20

Invigorated by this oening goal, with the shackles somewhat loosened, Leeds began to show their teeth a little more. The pressure being exerted by the visiting Whites began to tell and a header from Patrick Bamford (52′) was only just wide before Hernandez (55′) shot wide on the counter and Leeds had what appeared to have a perfectly good goal chalked off (58′) for offside.

Leeds were beginning to turn the screw, and other chances came including another one from a Bamford header (63′) that was well kept out by Town keeper Kamil Grabara. A minute later (64′), down the other end and it was Casilla who was called into action to deny an Elias Kachunga header from close range.

It was a half of football where Leeds United’s dominant press and pressure continued to push inexorably forward, many feeling that it was only a matter of time before a second goal came. That proved to be the case as a moment of classic BielsaBall saw United break from defence to attack, move through the phases and end with the evergreen Hernandez (78′) heading in yet another Jack Harrison assist from yet another accurate cross.

https://twitter.com/AztecLUFC/status/1203316351550443521?s=20

Huddersfield weren’t spent and pressed forward looking to get something out of the game. They had three decent chances but United were resolute and saw the final 10-or-so minutes out to keep yet another clean sheet and win their sixth game on the spin.

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