‘We could and should have won’ says Bielsa

Marcelo Bielsa bemoaned missed opportunities and costly mistakes as his Leeds side were beaten 2-0 by Cardiff on their return to Sky Bet Championship action.

Leeds – favourites to return to the Premier League as champions of the second tier – had 69 per cent possession in the Welsh capital but could not make the most of it.

Errors at the other end allowed Cardiff to score in either half through Junior Hoilett and substitute Robert Glatzel.

The defeat leaves Leeds in second place, level on points with leaders West Brom, and manager Bielsa said: “We could have won, we should have won. We created enough chances to score the necessary goals. They needed our mistakes to score, but we know we should have been clearer to finish the attacks.”

Leeds were dominant in both halves and went close in the first through Kalvin Phillips, Ben White and Luke Ayling.

It was against the run of play when Cardiff opened the scoring through Hoilett who picked up the ball after Phillips gave away possession.

He drove forward and his shot from the edge of the box beat goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who should have done better.

In the second half, Cardiff had their backs to the wall but manager Neil Harris’ introduction of substitutes Glatzel and Nathaniel Mendez-laing allowed them to double their lead.

Leeds captain Liam Cooper gave away possession to Mendez-laing in sloppy fashion and he passed inside to Glatzel, whose fine shot from the edge of the box went in off the post.