Leeds United were lucky last weekend against Sheffield United when a late howler from goalie Dean Henderson helped the Whites secure three massive points at Bramall Lane. But Leeds did not have it easy this evening at home against Queens Park Rangers when they conceded midway through the first half. Marcelo Bielsa’s men, however, reacted sharply and a brace from Kemar Roofe guided them yet another win at Elland Road.
Below are the Leeds United players rated in their 2-1 victory against QPR.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell: 7.5
The youngster could have done little to deny Nahki Wells who earned the visitors a surprise lead against the run of play. But he was sharp in closing minutes and dealt the pressure well with saves, timely outings and clearances.
Jamie Shackleton: 7.5
A decent performance from the teenager who started the game replacing the injured Stuart Dallas. Was impressive with his passing and crossing attributes and also kept on making overlapping runs whenever he had space in front of him.
Pontus Jansson: 7
Was at fault in Wells’ opener as he should have done a lot better to clear the ball out. The Swedish centre-back, however, was resilient other than that as he played more than 100 passes, kept on winning duels and also tried to build the game up from deep with strong runs and distribution skill.
Kalvin Phillips: 6.5
Played in a makeshift centre-back role in the absence of skipper Liam Cooper. Should have done better to stop Wells’ from receiving the ball with ease and making a free run for the QPR goal. Was rusty at times while tackling but managed to protect the lead partnering Jansson well in the heart of the defensive line.
Barry Douglas: 6.5
Was dispossessed a few times and also lacked enough influence in the attack, unlike his previous outings. But he defended well late in the game and used his experience to slow things down the left-hand side.
Adam Forshaw: 8
Started in the ‘hole’ in between the backline and midfield four. Marshalled the defence with blocks, tackles and interceptions, and helped orchestrate moves upfront from deep in midfield.
Pablo Hernandez: 8.5
Has been in blistering form since returning from injury. Scored against Sheffield United last weekend to clinch a victory over their Yorkshire rivals and also staged a comeback this afternoon with an excellent assist for Kemar Roofe who equalised seconds before the half-time whistle. Received a standing ovation and cheers from the supporters while making way for Jack Clarke in the closing minutes.
Samuel Saiz: 7.5
Did not make his trademark runs but showcased great composure with the ball as he won back possession on a number of occasions and carried it forward to create goal-scoring chances high up the pitch. Was replaced by Aapo Halme late in the game.
Mateusz Klich: 7.5
Did his best to dominate the midfield game. Saw his effort denied by the opposition goalie Joe Lumley. Lost a few duels, got dispossessed at times but was combative enough to recover the ball with strong tackling traits. Exhibited a very different side of his game this afternoon.
Ezgjan Alioski: 6.5
Created chances, made some lung-busting runs and also tested Lumley in QPR goal. But the Macedonian struggled to pose a constant threat down the left flank as he was often dispossessed and well-contained by the 36-year-old Angel Rangel.
Kemar Roofe: 9
Not only finished calmly to earn an equaliser but also claimed a lead from the spot after winning a penalty when his effort was handled by Toni Leistner inside the QPR box. His brace secured three huge points for the Whites in the promotion chase.
Substitutes
Aapo Halme: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Jack Clarke: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
