BIRTHDAY BUOY!
LEEDS BIRMINGHAM 5 ........ Shots on Target .........4 7 ........Shots off Target .........7 9 ................Corners .................2 13 .................Fouls.................. 18 4 ............... Offsides ..................1 77.7 Passing Success % 69.2 448 ...... Total Passes ......... 321 58.8 ....Possession % ......41.2 46.4 .Territorial Adv % .. 53.6 LOCAL boy Kalvin Phillips enjoyed a moment he will never forget by scoring the winner in front of the Kop in Leeds’ 100th anniversary match.
The midfielder grabbed the only goal at home to Birmingham as United marked their centenary by moving into second place in the table.
In front of a sellout crowd and a host of returning Leeds legends, it was a result manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted was crucial on such a special day.
“This was a really important match for us to win,” said Bielsa.
“We produced one of the best first-half performances of the season but we failed to score.
“We started the second half with a little doubt but once we scored we created another three chances and should have put the game beyond doubt.
“It was a great moment for Kalvin, a local boy, to score in front of the Kop. Sometimes God puts things in the right place. Now he will stay in the history of the club.”
Leeds have struggled for goals at home this season despite their heir lofty league position.
That was evident in the first half as the hosts dominated minated but missed a host of chances.
Stuart Dallas wasted the best of them hem after a lovely vely passage of p l ay, as
Lee Camp mp saved his shot from m near the e p ena l t y spot.
The e v i si t o r s were e hardly a threat to o the Leeds ds goal but Alvaro Gimenez almost conjured a moment to savour when he curled a 25-yard effort inches wide of Kiko Casilla’s right- hand post midway through the second h half. It looked like another frustrating afterno afternoon for the home faithful unt until Phillips drilled the Yorkshire Yorks outfit into the lead not long after the hour mark.
Jude Bell Bellingham’s pass sold Maxime Colin short 10 yard yards outside his own area an and Jack H Harr i s on p pounced to w win the ball and play in Phillips, who fired low and hard under C Camp from 12 yards. T The goal LEEDS BIRMINGHAM X ........ Shots on Target .........X X ........Shots off Target .........X X ................Corners .................X X.................. X .................. Fou Fouls ls ....................X X............... X ............... Offsides Offsides.................X .................X XX..... XX .....Passing Passing Success Success...... ...... XX XX.........XX .........Total Total Passes.......... Passes .......... XX XX...........Possession XX ...........Possession ........... ...........XX XX XX..... XX .....Territorial Territorial Adv%...... Adv% ......XX XX meant it was a losing return for former Leeds assistant manager Pep Clotet, who felt his Birmingham side deserved at least a point.
“Leeds have been playing well now for a year and a half but I didn’t think they enjoyed as much possession as they normally do,” Clotet said.
“It was very even. I wanted to take the game to Leeds, which we did, and I thought we deserved more.
“When you come to Leeds you have to be very good in the transition phase from defence into attack, and we were very good – but we made just one mistake.”