Leeds United 2 Cardiff City 2 – HT 0-2
Cooper (49) Bowler (23)
Summerville (90+5) Ugbo (39)
Assists
Summerville (49) Ugbo (23)
Still earlier August and the football season is under way, crazy.
First game back in the championship and under a new manager. Let’s hope we can get straight back up. Come on Leeds. Marching on Together.
Leeds United made a dramatic return to the Championship as new manager Daniel Farke saw Crysencio Summerville’s added-time equaliser cap a fightback from 2-0 down to draw with Cardiff City.
The Bluebirds, also under the guidance of a new boss in Erol Bulut, had to withstand heavy Leeds pressure but clinical counter-attacking goals by debutants Josh Bowler and Ike Ugbo had given the visitors a convincing half-time lead.
A towering header by Leeds captain Liam Cooper early in the second half fuelled a resurgence from the dominant hosts, who missed several chances.
Just as it looked like Cardiff would cling on for a memorable victory, Summerville finished superbly five minutes into time added on to spark jubilant celebrations at Elland Road.
A point was the least Leeds deserved. The statistics told the story of their supremacy: 72% possession, 25 shots to Cardiff’s seven and six on target compared to their opponents’ two.
Farke’s first Leeds line-up featured only three players who began the club’s final Premier League game in May – Cooper, Luke Ayling, and Pascal Struijk – after an off-season which featured more departures than arrivals.
Of the three new faces to come in, only Ethan Ampadu, a £7m acquisition from Chelsea, started this match, though there was a full debut for teenager Archie Gray while Daniel James was back on the left wing having been on loan at Fulham last season.
Well hopefully this new team can get us back in the premiership, otherwise it will be many years before we do.
League position 11th after 1 game
