Goals from Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Kalvin Phillips, either side of David McGoldrick’s fifth goal of the season for Town, have given Leeds United a 2-1 lead over the Blues at half-time at Elland Road.

Jonas Knudsen returned at left-back for Town, who were wearing all blue, after missing last week’s 2-0 victory over Bolton with a hamstring injury.

Tristan Nydam, 17, was handed his second Championship start at left midfield, while Callum Connolly and Myles Kenlock dropped to the bench having started against the Trotters. Dominic Iorfa moved to right-back in a 4-4-2 system.

Leeds made one change with skipper Liam Cooper replacing Pontus Jansson at the heart of the defence.

Jordan Spence picked up an early yellow card for a foul on Samuel Saiz 25 yards out, Lasogga slamming the freekick into the wall.

Leeds dominated possession in the opening minutes but without being able to create an opening.

However, on 13 they made their early superiority tell. Conor Shaughnessy threaded a pass for Lasogga, who was afforded a huge gap in the Town defence as he ran through and hit a powerful shot past Bartosz Bialkowski to his right.

Joe Garner headed Town’s first chance over from a Grant Ward corner on 20 with the Blues having more of the ball after going behind.

On 23 Luke Ayling hit a shot wide from 25 yards after the Blues had failed to clear, then at the other end David McGoldrick seized on some hesitancy from Shaughnessy and brought the ball into the area on the left but his cutback was behind Garner.

In the 28th minute McGoldrick deftly took down a high ball and drove into the area before Ayling slid behind for a Town corner with the Blues’ flag-kicks - along with the woefully uncertain kicking of keeper Felix Wiedwald - causing the home side most danger.

And on the half hour it was a set piece from which the Blues scored their equaliser, albeit a freekick wide on the right. Spence sent the ball into the box and an unmarked McGoldrick nodded his fifth goal of the season past Wieldwald.

But parity lasted only two minutes. Saiz played the ball into the right of the box for Phillips, who reached it ahead of Bialkowski and took it past the keeper to his right before slipping it into the net from a tight angle to make it 2-1.

Knudsen joined Spence in referee Geoff Eltringham’s book in the 38th minute for a foul on Ezgjan Alioski, the freekick coming to nothing.

Leeds should have made it 3-1 in the 43rd minute when Pablo Hernandez played in Saiz on the left of the box but Blues skipper Luke Chambers dived in to make a vital block.

As the half moved towards injury time, Skuse found Garner on the left of the area with a well-weighted cross-field pass. The striker brought it down but his shot was deflected over.

The Blues went close to their second equaliser of the afternoon from the resultant corner. Chambers rose highest to head goalwards but Vurnon Anita nodded off the line at the post.

Although Leeds deserved their lead on the balance of the half overall, the Blues could easily have found themselves level at the break.

Having gone behind to a goal the Town backline will want to forget after a first quarter of an hour dominated by the home side, the Blues came more into the game and had looked dangerous from several set pieces prior to McGoldrick’s goal.

After immediately conceding another poor goal, the Blues were on the front foot towards the break with set pieces - and keeper Wiedwald’s hesitancy with the ball at his feet - remaining their main threat.

Leeds: Wiedwald, Anita, Cooper (c), Shaughnessy, Ayling, O'Kane, Phillips, Alioski, Hernandez, Saiz, Lasogga. Subs: Lonergan, Pennington, Beradi, Klich, Dallas, Roofe, Grot.

Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Spence, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Ward, Adeyemi, Skuse, Nydam, Garner, McGoldrick. Subs: Gerken, Waghorn, Celina, Connolly, Sears, Kenlock, Woolfenden. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham).

Photo: Action Images

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