Late equaliser denies Leeds at Elland Road
Leeds United 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Danny Batth's injury-time strike salvaged a dramatic point for Blackburn Rovers, cancelling out Pascal Struijk’s late penalty in a gripping finale that left Leeds United frustrated at Elland Road.
Struijk had calmly slotted home from the spot after substitute Mateo Joseph was deemed to have been brought down by Dominic Hyam, in what looked set to be the winner in a game otherwise short on clear chances.
But just two minutes later, Batth pounced on a flicked Hyam header at the back post to steer the ball home, denying Leeds a 10th straight home league victory and keeping Blackburn’s promotion hopes alive.
The result means Leeds maintain a three-point cushion at the top of the Championship but missed the chance to extend their lead further over Sheffield United, who lost to Sunderland.
The home side almost snatched all three points deep into 11 minutes of stoppage time, only for Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears to produce a stunning save to deny Max Wober’s fierce volley.
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A closer look at what happened
You can watch the extended highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the EFL YouTube account.
More analysis
In truth, the frenetic ending was in stark contrast to much of the preceding 90 minutes, which was a scrappy and rain-soaked affair. Injuries to Blackburn’s Yuki Ohashi and Leeds’ Jayden Bogle disrupted the flow, while both sides struggled to create any real momentum.
Blackburn’s disciplined defending stifled Leeds for large periods, with the hosts probing but often looking laboured and predictable. Despite enjoying over 65% possession, Leeds only managed one effort on target in the first half—a tame header from Struijk easily gathered by Pears.
Blackburn had their own opportunities, with Hyam coming close from a corner before clearing danger at the other end to deny a threatening Dan James cross.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke made an attacking triple change, introducing Patrick Bamford, Willy Gnonto, and Mateo Joseph, which injected some urgency into the hosts’ play. Brenden Aaronson went close with a curling effort, James saw a free-kick comfortably saved, and Gnonto smashed a volley narrowly wide.
Blackburn’s best chance before Batth’s equaliser fell to substitute Harry Leonard, but he misjudged his header from a perfectly weighted cross.
Struijk’s penalty appeared to have settled matters, but the decision left Blackburn boss John Eustace fuming as Hyam seemed to get a touch on the ball. Moments later, the defender redeemed himself by setting up Batth’s equaliser to cap off a dramatic end to an otherwise subdued New Year’s Day clash.
Rovers remain without a win in four matches but will take heart from a spirited performance, while Leeds will be left ruing a missed opportunity to tighten their grip on top spot.
