Kyle Newbould: I watched Leeds United's 2-0 win vs RB Leipzig - here are my 3 key conclusions
Key takeaways from Leeds United’s impressive 2-0 pre-season friendly win over RB Leipzig.
Leeds United produced another impressive all-round performance to beat RB Leipzig 2-0 at Elland Road on Saturday. Goals in either half from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha secured a third straight pre-season victory for Daniel Farke’s side and a first back at Elland Road.
An attendance of 24,630 were treated to a fast start when Joe Rodon burst into a right-wing role and crossed for Calvert-Lewin, with Leeds starting on the front foot and defending well. A raft of half-time substitutions slowed things down a little but the Whites produced a brilliant team move which Nmecha finished.
There were impressive performances across multiple positions and in either 60-minute half, with Leeds now winning all three friendlies against top-flight opposition. Below are the YEP’s three key takeaways.
Rodon’s interesting role
There were no surprises at 1pm when Farke named close to his strongest available line-up but straight from kick-off, an interesting tactical decision was on show. Harry Wilson, a right-winger on the teamsheet, drifted into a No10 role behind Calvert-Lewin while right wing-back Bogle pushed high and Rodon went wide.
It was from this shape that Rodon burst forward inside seven minutes, latching onto a ball in behind and crossing for Calvert-Lewin. The Welshman could regularly be seen receiving the ball really high and wide, while also occupying spaces close to the striker you’d expect to see the likes of Wilson.
The tactical tweak was seen most clearly last season in December’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace and it worked to perfection again on Saturday, with all of Rodon, Bogle and Wilson comfortable mixing things up. It’s something to keep an eye out for as the latter continues to get to grips with his new surroundings.
Important Bijol minutes
One substitute that could stake a claim to be in the strongest-XI is Jaka Bijol but the Slovenian hadn’t featured in pre-season until Saturday due to a small injury. He was one of six half-time introductions, coming into his regular central centre-back position between James Justin and Tarik Muharemovic.
Minutes alongside the latter will be particularly pleasing for Farke, given it’s a completely new combination. The former Serie A pair got a good chunk of time playing alongside one another before Muharemovic was replaced midway through the second-half, another hugely impressive performance under his belt.
Neither Muharemovic nor Bijol looked at all uncomfortable in the second-half, dovetailing impressively to keep Leeds strong defensively. The next thing for Farke to see is both playing alongside Rodon.
Confident youngsters impress
Farke continued to make changes throughout the second period, with half-time introduction Jayden Lienou joined by fellow academy prospects Callum Mills, Alfie Cresswell and Rhys Chadwick. All four impressed with real moments of quality and the confidence to back it up against senior, Champions League-level opposition.
Lienou and Mills combined well down the left on multiple occasions and at times cut open the Leipzig defence, while Chadwick played a big role in the build-up to Nmecha’s goal before Aaronson slipped in Gnonto to cross. Cresswell had his moment too, remaining calm in a defensive two-vs-three situation to snuff out a counter-attack alongside Bijol.
The obvious caveat with all four is that Saturday was a pre-season game, with the pace and physicality some way short of what they’d expect to face in the Premier League. But it was encouraging to see the next promising talents off the academy production line look so confident surrounded by first-team players.