Leeds United 3 Portsmouth 3: Crazy ending and remarkable 'treble' as wasteful Whites are held — YEP 10/8/24

By Lee Sobot

Leeds took on newly-promoted Portsmouth in a lunchtime kick-off at Elland Road in their first game of the new Championship season.

Leeds United were unable to start their new promotion push with a victory as Saturday's lunchtime hosting of Portsmouth ended in a 3-3 draw involving an incredible start and finish at Elland Road where Daniel Farke’s Whites squandered a host of chances.

Leeds were denied an opening goal by the woodwork in just the fourth minute as a Willy Gnonto strike cannoned back off the crossbar after the Italian had been picked out by a Georginio Rutter square ball after a lovely through pass from Jayden Bogle.

From the corner, Portsmouth were then saved by the bar again as Ethan Ampadu's downward header bounced back on to the frame of the goal and eventually away to safety.

Leeds were making a ferocious start and Ampadu was then chopped down on the edge of the box by Callum Lang who was booked.

Ilia Gruev stepped up to the free-kick and incredibly Pompey were saved by the crossbar yet again as Gruev's brilliant free-kick sailed past keeper Will Norris but bounced back off the bar amid disbelieving faces inside Elland Road.

Yet just two minutes later, Leeds were awarded a penalty after Connor Ogilvie took down a flying Dan James and centre-back Pascal Struijk stepped up to take the spot kick which he coolly slotted home into the bottom left corner as Norris went the wrong way.

Portsmouth were yet to threaten and a header from Ogilvie from a Pompey free-kick sailed up into the air before being easily caught by Illan Meslier.

As part of a messy exchange, Struijk was then lucky to get away with a desperate sliding challenge but Ampadu was then caught by another one although Leeds still countered and James saw his shot from a tight angle diverted wide for a corner which Pompey survived.

Leeds could and should have been several goals up yet instead the visitors drew level with their first real chance in the 24th minute as a lovely reverse pass from Marlon Pack played in Elias Sorensen who had just Meslier to beat and powered home a fierce finish through the Frenchman and into the back of the net.

Back came Leeds and Mateo Joseph saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide. After a good interception by Gruev, another Joseph stroke from just inside the box was beaten away by keeper Norris.

Following yet more good work from Joseph, Leeds worked the ball into the area for Gnonto and the Italian produced a clever turn to create space but saw his shot pushed wide for a corner. Despite having his shirt pulled, Rutter then worked space for a shot on the edge of the box but fired his effort well wide.

Referee Langford, meanwhile, was being very inconsistent and Rodon was then booked for getting in a tangle as he looked to clear his lines midway in his own half.

Rodon headed clear the free-kick but only into the path of Lang who took a couple of touches and then fired home a superb finish from 20 yards out to put the visitors 2-1 up with 41 minutes on the clock.

Yet another Leeds chance was then wasted from a corner which Norris flapped into the middle of the area to Gruev who sent his shot wide with a sea of bodies in front of him.

Portsmouth's Andre Dozzell then committed the worst foul of the half when flying into James, a challenge which earned him a booking.

In driving rain, Leeds had three minutes of added time to bag an equaliser but Gruev sent a poor free kick wide and that proved the last chance of the half.

Whites boss Farke kept the same team for the start of the second half and within two minutes of it his side were level through Gnonto who was played in down the left and cut inside before producing a neat finish back across Norris into the bottom left corner.

Two minutes later, Joseph looked destined to put Leeds in front after being picked out by Bogle's square ball but his rising strike was deflected over the bar for a corner which then flew through the area as Pompey survived.

After stellar work from Rutter, a Firpo pull back teed up Gruev but his effort from the edge of the area was saved.

Lightning pace from James then took him away from Oglivie who scythed down the winger and was booked, after which another neat move created an opening for Gnonto but his shot from inside the area was weak and Norris easily saved.

Next Gnonto turned provider as he pulled the ball back to Rutter but another weak finish allowed Norris to make another easy save.

From a cleared corner, yet another Gnonto attempt from the left was deflected wide. The same again happened but from the other side two minutes later as the Whites shots count reached 19.

With 20 minutes left, Farke called for a triple change as Joe Rothwell, Joel Piroe and the returning Brenden Aaronson were brought on to replace Gruev, Gnonto and James.

As the Whites momentum flattened, Struijk was booked for colliding with Christian Saydee, after which Patrick Bamford was brought on to replace Joseph with 11 minutes left.

Three minutes later, Bamford was presented with a chance as he was picked out by a Firpo cross from a quickly taken Rothwell free-kick but his header was sent wide.

The game then looked to be petering out into a 2-2 draw yet Pompey were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute for new signing Bogle wrestling with substitute Christian Saydee just inside the box.

In the 91st minute, Lang stepped up to take the spot kick and coolly rolled the ball home to spark an Elland Road exodus and wild scenes in the away end.

Yet the drama was still not done with and Leeds drew level in the 95st minute as the returning Aaronson wriggled around to create space on the edge of the box before poking home a neat finish.

Incredibly, Aaronson was then presented with a golden chance to bag a 98th-minute winner after being played in one-on-one by Bogle but the American sent his finish the wrong side of the post to incredible gasps inside LS11.