The fighting spirit Leeds United displayed was remarkable, nevertheless, they kicked off the year of 2025 by earning a disappointing tie against Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road.
The match was an unsightly one, with very few scoring opportunities for either team.
It was a physical match in which Pascal Struijk truly stepped up for Leeds United and scored a penalty to help them secure the win.
Unfortunately, a late goal cost Leeds the win as the match ended in a tie 1-1.
Illan Meslier – 6/10
Meslier had very little action during the match, He was solid when called into action, but he could do nothing about the equalizer.
His performance was more or less untested, though he made no mistake
Sam Byram – 5/10
Byram struggled both defensively and offensively, in the first half, he did not see much action and some of his performances hurt a lot of fans.
He was replaced at halftime due to lack of impact.
Pascal Struijk – 6.5/10
Struijk had a steady game throughout the match. He was composed in possession and dealt with the aerial challenges quite well.
Struijk calmly converted a penalty in the 87th minute but his heroics could not win the match.
Joe Rodon – 7/10
Rodon was one of the more confident players from leeds. His passing was clean and he was not afraid to venture forward.
He was solid in his defending and looked confident in the backline.
Jayden Bogle – 5.5/10
Bogle did not offer his usual attacking threat in the match.
He struggled in making key passes and therefore his participation was limited. He was replaced in the second half apparently with an injury.
Joe Rothwell – 6.5/10
Rothwell was looking promising at the beginning of the game, but as the game went on and the match became a bit scrappy he struggled to keep up.
He was, however, one of leeds’ best players during the time he was on before being subbed in the 70th minute.
Ao Tanaka – 7/10
Tanaka put in a commendable effort throughout the entire game. He managed to participate defensively and passed the ball well in midfield.
He may not have contributed significantly in attack but his all-around performance was solid.
Manor Solomon – 7.5/10
Solomon was Leeds most impressive player from the start to the end.
Particularly in the first half, that came at the expense of his playing time after he attempted to move 70 minutes into the game.
Brenden Aaronson – 7/10
Aaronson came up early but got knocked on the nose and that did not help his game.
However, he made some decent passes and managed to create space for himself in the second half.
Dan James – 6/10
Especially in the first half of the match, James was a major threat showing pace.
James troubled the opposition’s defense with his runs, but did not have the final touch needed to make an impact.
Joel Piroe – 5.5/10
Piroe found it difficult to break into the game.
He had minimal involvement, with Blackburn sitting deep, which made it difficult for him to find space.
Max Wober – 6/10
Wober completed the left side with his natural left foot. At times he over attacked and left Solomon to be outnumbered.
His passing could have been more accurate but he almost scored a goal in the final minutes of injury time.
Ethan Ampadu – 5.5/10
Ampadu didn’t look as commanding as usual, playing out of position at right-back.
The tough game against Blackburn exposed some of his vulnerabilities.
Substitutes
Patrick Bamford (5.5/10), Mateo Joseph (5.5/10), Wilfried Gnonto (6/10) – The substitutes didn’t have enough time to make a significant impact, though Gnonto was lively when he came on.
Leeds’ players showed determination, but Blackburn’s defensive resilience and a late equalizer left them with a frustrating start to the year.
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