MX23RW : Wednesday, January 15 12:39:51| >> :120:51018:51018:
[monks data]
Attendance: 12,294
Brentford logo
Championship | Gameweek 32
Feb 11, 2020 at 7.45pm UK
 
Leeds logo

1-1

Benrahma (25')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Cooper (38')

Marcelo Bielsa backs Kiko Casilla despite Brentford blunder

The Leeds stopper allowed the Bees to open the scoring.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa refused to blame under-fire goalkeeper Kiko Casilla despite the blunder which gifted Brentford their goal in the 1-1 draw at Griffin Park.

Casilla slipped and let Liam Cooper's tame backpass roll under his foot, allowing Said Benrahma to tap home at the far post to give the Bees the lead.

It was an awful error from the former Real Madrid keeper, whose place in the side is already under scrutiny following some recent shaky performances.

Fortunately for the Spaniard, Cooper grabbed an equaliser to ensure Leeds clung on to their place in the automatic promotion spots.

"Kiko doesn't need my words because I always support him and his decisions," said Whites boss Bielsa.

"Because I know the human quality of the players of Leeds, I think he will receive support from his team-mates and not lose confidence."

Nevertheless it was a welcome result for Bielsa, whose side have seen their 11-point advantage over third place evaporate in the last two months.

However, they will still find themselves outside the automatic promotion spots in 24 hours' time if Fulham pick up a win at Millwall.

Leeds, with four defeats in their previous five matches, arrived in west London with a terrible history against the Bees having not won at Griffin Park since 1950, while their record in the capital this season reads: played four, lost four.

Also fresh in the memory was their defeat at Brentford, in their third last match of last season, which derailed that campaign's promotion push.

The rot may not have stopped entirely but Cooper's equaliser, after Brentford keeper David Raya flapped at a corner, could be the start of a Leeds revival.

Bielsa added: "We defended well, was difficult to attack for us even though we attacked all the match.

"The players left everything on the pitch. We controlled their attackers well, we managed the ball well, and this is not easy against a team like Brentford."

In-form Brentford were looking for a third straight win, which would have taken them above Leeds, but their much-vaunted 'BMW' strike force of Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins failed to get out of first gear.

Boss Thomas Frank said: "One of the reasons for that is that Leeds do things very differently compared to any other team in the division.

"The way they press, constantly, man for man, going towards the man, that makes you have less time on the ball. That's why we didn't have the time to create enough.

"I think it was a fair result, maybe it was even a 0-0 game. There were very few chances."

ID:389429: cacheID:389429:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4161:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Shocked Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa on February 8, 2020
Read Next:
Championship week 32 predictions including Brentford vs. Leeds
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds26158348192953
2Burnley26141023192252
3Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd26166436171952
4Sunderland26148439221750
5Middlesbrough26118743321141
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom26913432211140
7Blackburn RoversBlackburn2511682823539
8Watford26115103637-138
9Bristol City2691073330337
10Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2610793840-237
11Norwich CityNorwich269984337636
12Swansea CitySwansea2697103030034
13Queens Park RangersQPR2671182934-532
14Millwall257992423130
15Preston North EndPreston2661282834-630
16Coventry CityCoventry2678113437-329
17Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2678112941-1229
18Derby CountyDerby2676133135-427
19Stoke CityStoke2669112432-827
20Luton TownLuton2674152744-1725
21Cardiff CityCardiff2659122641-1524
22Portsmouth2458113041-1123
23Hull City2658132536-1123
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2649132554-2921


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!