Leeds United picked up their second pre-season victory last night, coming from behind to defeat National League North outfit Guiseley 2-1.
After comfortably sweeping York City aside on Wednesday with several senior players in action, Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa named another strong starting eleven for the visit to Nethermoor. Marquee signing Helder Costa featured, as did midfielder Kalvin Phillips despite reports linking him with a move to Aston Villa.
The Championship promotion hopefuls fell behind to a strike from Lions star Kaine Felix, but the deficit was overturned in the second-half with goals from Helder Costa and Mateusz Bogusz.
We rated the performance of every player that featured for Leeds in the West Yorkshire derby…
Bailey Peacock-Farrell
The Northern Ireland international featured between the sticks in the first-half and will have been disappointed to have had the ball slid through his legs for Guiseley’s opener. However, after the goal, he didn’t face any stern tests from the hosts. 6/10.
Kalvin Phillips
The midfielder was deployed in defence, where he didn’t look particularly comfortable in the early stages. He was beaten to the ball by an on-rushing Felix prior to Guiseley’s opener but grew into the game and won most aerial duels and tackles in the second-half. 6/10.
Leif Davis
He proved to be a calming presence in a backline that looked nervous in the first-half, demonstrating why Marcelo Bielsa didn’t hesitate to plunge him in at the deep end last season. Despite an error in the second-half that opened up an opportunity for Felix, the former Morecambe defender impressed. Tidy in possession and intelligent, Davis is certainly one to keep an eye on as the league campaign approaches. 7/10.
Ben White
The towering defender was composed on the ball, made a crucial block in the first-half and was confident enough to carry the ball out of defence on several occasions. It didn’t take long for the reason Bielsa is an admirer to become clear. 7/10.
Mateusz Klich
Supporters saw little of the attacking threat Klich can pose, as the Polish midfielder found himself tussling with Jamie Spencer and Dylan Barkers. Did the dirty work. 6/10.
Mateusz Bogusz
Provided a neat finish for the decisive goal and was Leeds’ most direct threat in the first-half. The prospect combined flair with grit and will have done his chances of breaking into the first-team this season no harm. 7/10.
Jamie Shackleton
The coveted teenager often ensured that transitions from defence to attack were swift with energetic bursts forward. His passing was neat and he also dealt well with Guiseley’s lively attackers. 8/10.
Ezgjan Alioski
The Macedonian started slowly and was bettered by Gabriel Johnson on several occasions in the opening exchanges. However, he grew into the game and was unlucky to have a goal disallowed. 6/10.
Jack Clarke
Clarke was quiet on his first outing since returning on loan as he struggled to impose himself on the game. The winger drifted inside a lot and did a lot of frustrated chasing. 6/10.
Helder Costa
The new arrival took a while to hit his stride but glided past Guiseley players with ease when he did. Costa notched his first goal in a Leeds shirt in impressive fashion, effortlessly evading several players before tucking away in the back of the net. This was followed by an assist for Bogusz’s winner that capped off an excellent display from the debutant. 8/10.
Jordan Stevens
In similar fashion to Clarke, Stevens found himself chasing shadows for large portions of the game as the duo and Costa attempted to fill the hole left by the absence of a forward. 6/10.
Substitutes:
Kamil Miazek
The Polish stopper shone, keeping Guiseley at bay on several occasions as he made crucial saves to deny Gabriel Johnson, Scott Garner and Kaine Felix. 7/10.
Nohan Kenneh
The 16-year-old played with maturity beyond his years and was assured as he slotted seamlessly into Leeds’ backline. 7/10.
Niall Huggins
The Wales youth international entered the fray in the late stages and didn’t have time to make an impact.
