Leeds United beacon of class helps make vital point with caveats — Graham Smyth's AC Milan Verdict — YEP 10/8/25

By Graham Smyth

Graham Smyth’s Verdict as Leeds United rounded off their pre-season campaign with a draw against AC Milan.

Leeds United ended their pre-season with a solid display in a 1-1 draw against a weakened AC Milan side at a sold out Aviva in Dublin.

For fans it was the occasion that overshadowed the game itself. The streets of Dublin were awash with yellow, white and blue all weekend but especially on matchday as thousands descended upon the Irish capital from all over the island, England and beyond. Scandinavians mixed with Yorkshire folk in the pubs of Temple Bar and locals welcomed their Leeds brethren from north of the border to establishments along the route to the Aviva.

It wasn't all expensive pints of black stuff, singalongs and sight-seeing though. There was a game to be played and an important point to hammer home on the pitch. Leeds' return to the Premier League was celebrated in proper fashion in the city of Leeds but for it to mean anything more than one season amongst the big boys they will have to be truly competitive. Competitive in a way the last two sets of promoted teams have not been.

Only the real stuff will prove how adept Daniel Farke will be at making Leeds competitive and the dwindling transfer window will be absolutely key to that. Against Serie A opposition though the players already in the building needed to ensure they bounced into the season with something to be confident about, not something to fear. Against Manchester United in Stockholm they looked solid in a draw. The same was true against Champions League opposition at Elland Road when they held Villarreal.

Against Milan they had the luxury of counting upon the new number one Lucas Perri. A goalkeeper bringing a minimum of fuss and a high degree of confidence was exactly what the doctor ordered. In Dublin the giant Brazilian's first job, inside the opening seconds, was a clearance under some pressure that he directed straight to Willy Gnonto. His second, a minute later, was again aimed at the Italian winger but sailed out of play. But he settled in quickly, quietly and crucially with hints of quality.

In front of him Farke went with a side that was close to what can be expected against Everton on the opening night, notwithstanding potential transfer additions.

Leeds will set out to be hard to play against this season and with competition fiercer in the centre of midfield than anywhere else, Ao Tanaka was keen to meet the brief early on. He hassled and hassled with an intensity that unsettled and dispossessed Milan as they tried to put together a first attack. And when Tanaka was beaten, Ethan Ampadu stepped in. Being tight and compact will also be key.

But simply fighting their way through 38 games will not be enough. Leeds are going to need quality in possession whenever they get the ball. Anton Stach and Gnonto looked most capable of providing that early on. First the pair linked up in a nice move that ended with Gnonto's dangerous cross being cleared. Then Pascal Struijk played a beautiful ball over the top that Gnonto should have turned into the opener, his tame lob letting Milan off the hook. Gnonto teed up Stach, who beat a man in the box and uncorked a strike that rattled the crossbar. In between those chances Milan could also have taken the lead. A through ball had the Whites scrambling and last man Struijk fell away, but so too did Santiago Gimenez as he shaped to shoot with just Perri to beat.

That moment and a couple of uncomfortable moments for the right hand side of the defence aside, Leeds could be pleased with their start. They saw plenty of the ball and showed more than enough forward endeavour. Milan's threat was always there and it presented itself most noticeably when they targeted Isaac Schmidt yet the physicality and urgency Leeds showed to get tackles or tactical fouls in helped disrupt the Serie A men.

Yet with just over half an hour gone their good work was undone and there was no surprise from where the goal originated. Schmidt was beaten in the area, the ball went to the byline and the cut back was smashed in at the far post by Gimenez.

That wasn't the last of the discomfort on that troublesome flank for the Whites in the half, highlighting again not only the importance of Jayden Bogle but the strengthening they must do in the remainder of the transfer window. As the teams went down the tunnel at the break the big positive for Leeds was the performance of Stach, on the ball particularly, and that they had troubled another bona fide top flight outfit.

Leeds United’s second-half promise with Anton Stach the standout

And they caused more bother in the second half, too. Substitute Karl Darlow had barely been troubled at the other end but there had been glimpses of danger and some real bravery in how Leeds played forward under pressure at times. Then Tanaka split lines with a pass into Joel Piroe and his effort was fierce but wide.

Perhaps the raft of substitutes Leeds made as they prepared to take a corner lulled Milan into a false sense of security but they took no notice of Gnonto's deep position. Stach played the ball short, it went into the middle to Ilia Gruev and then he returned it to Stach who still had enough time and space to pick his spot from the very corner of the box. The ball flew into the far corner of the net and the Aviva erupted.

The goal was a reward for Leeds' competitiveness and it was deserved for their attacking intent. It was the icing on the cake for the best player on the pitch for the Whites too. Stach purred all afternoon, a 6ft 4ins beacon of class.

Farke continued to make changes, putting Jack Harrison on to inevitable boos yet the winger-turned-left-back received support too from other sections of the sold-out Aviva. There was little more in the way of joy for Leeds, though they did press for a winner, and could also have come a cropper themselves. Darlow spilled a back-post header up onto his crossbar and so nearly into his net. But it ended 1-1. Another solid result, albeit one with the usual pre-season caveats.

And now the friendlies are done. All that exists between Leeds and the top flight is a week of training, tactical preparations for Everton and whatever they can do in the transfer market to strengthen Farke's hand. It's always an occasion when Leeds play and that first game against the Toffees will be a celebration for as long as they remain in the game and competitive. Anyone making any firm predictions on how good they will be is a fool or a liar because we haven't seen the real, final Leeds United yet.