Leeds United moved prime of the Championship desk and edged one step nearer to the Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Oxford United on the Kassam Stadium on Friday.
Tottenham loanee Manor Solomon was the hero for the guests, as his first-half aim supplied the one breakthrough of the match.
It was removed from a classic efficiency from Daniel Farke’s aspect, with some profligacy in entrance of aim costing them in what might have been a extra snug outing.
After a tempered begin, Leeds grew into the sport with a flurry of half-chances earlier than Solomon gave them the lead simply previous the half-hour mark.
Joe Rondon performed a beautiful diagonal cross out to Jayden Bogle, who met the cross with an incisive run earlier than choosing out Solomon on the far submit, the ahead thumping his shot previous Jamie Cumming.
Oxford gave the guests a troublesome take a look at from there, and made them work onerous to carry onto the lead, although their struggles in assault persevered, with only a few clear-cut probabilities falling their means.
Bogle and Solomon’s connection proved to be the one actual second of high quality in an in any other case uneventful match. Leeds looked for a second aim to calm the nerves because the second half went on, however couldn’t fairly break via Oxford’s defence for an insurance coverage aim.
Farke won’t thoughts that an excessive amount of although, because the win takes his aspect to the highest of the desk on 91 factors, stage with Burnley and 5 factors away from third-placed Sheffield United.
The Blades ensured Leeds couldn’t acquire promotion on Friday after a 2-0 victory over Cardiff Metropolis earlier on Friday noticed them transfer to 86 factors.
Gustavo Hamer opened the scoring with a low volley within the thirty third minute, whereas Ben Brereton Diaz made certain of the victory with three minutes remaining after clinically ending whereas one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Oxford, in the meantime, are resigned to nineteenth place, three factors above Twentieth-placed Hull Metropolis, with their work reduce out for them if they’re to remain within the Championship.
MAXIMUM POINTS IN OXFORD!! pic.twitter.com/aiHF1qTHL1
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 18, 2025
Knowledge debrief: Leeds prolong unbelievable successful streak with targets galore
Leeds United have now gone 79 Championship matches in a row with out dropping after having scored the primary aim of the sport.
The final time they opened the scoring however didn’t handle to safe the win got here towards Wigan Athletic in 2019, coincidentally additionally on Good Friday.
Certainly, Leeds have been on a scoring hot-streak, discovering the web in 36 of their 43 video games up to now. No workforce has achieved so extra typically within the Championship this season.
They dominated Oxford United on the anticipated targets (xG) entrance as nicely, registering 1.67 xG to Oxford’s modest 0.46 xG.
