Leeds United rounded off their mid-season run of friendlies with a 4-2 defeat to Monaco at Elland Road. Robin Koch gave Jesse Marsch’s men the lead before Monaco capitalised on some very poor defending to win comfortably.
Leeds were not as bad as the scoreline suggests. A terrible 10 minute period and not having a striker really cost the Whites.
Here are our player ratings following the game…
Leeds player ratings: Koch, Gnonto and Aaronson impressive
Kristoffer Klaesson – 5
The goalkeeper was actually not given a lot of difficult things to do. He was not helped at all by the defence for any of Monaco’s goals.
Rasmus Kristensen – 4
Going forward, Kristensen looked very good. But defensively, he was extremely poor. He should have also scored during the first-half when he was served a glorious chance.
Luke Ayling – 5
Ayling played well at centre-back in the first-half before it went awry after the break. It is certainly a worrying thought that Jesse Marsch may be preparing for the full-back to start there against Manchester City.
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Robin Koch – 8
Leeds’ second best player at Elland Road. Koch scored the opening goal with a header from a corner. And defensively, he was excellent, making one vital tackle towards half-time. Understandably taken off at half-time.
Pascal Struijk – 5
On the day his new contract was announced, Struijk struggled. Monaco had a lot of joy with runs made from out wide. But he probably still did enough to keep his place ahead of Junior Firpo.
Marc Roca – 7
Roca played as the deeper of the two central midfielders. And he stood out as a class act in the first-half. Provided the assist for the opener.
Adam Forshaw – 5
Some good tackles from Forshaw, who supported the forward line in the press. He did not appear to see a lot of the ball. But a decent run-out as he seemingly prepares to replace Tyler Adams next week.
Sam Greenwood – 6
Greenwood just looks like a first-team player now. He played on the right of the midfield three. And he looked very comfortable in that role. He has the quality to make things happen out of nothing. And that is an exciting thought as his decision-making improves.
Willy Gnonto – 8
Gnonto struggled to get into the game during the first-half. But there were times where he linked up nicely with Brenden Aaronson. And he was absolutely superb in the second-half, causing all sorts of problems and eventually winning a penalty. He gets an extra point for how hard he worked.
Joe Gelhardt – 5
Gelhardt’s form has been a concern this season. But you really feel that he is one piece of magic away from getting back to his best. Some bright touches while helping lead the line and one thunderous shot in the second-half. And, unsurprisingly, he worked so hard for the team. He got some rewards with a stoppage-time penalty.
Brenden Aaronson – 7
Aaronson was so sharp during the first-half. He was easily our best player before the break, proving to be an absolute pest as something of a false nine. He looks determined to prove that he should have played a lot more at the World Cup. He actually looked less impressive when Mateo Joseph came on and he dropped back.
Substitutes:
Diego Llorente – 4
It probably was not the best sign that Leeds went from 1-1 to 4-1 down inside 10 minutes after his introduction. But he did not appear to be at fault for any of the goals. He missed a chance to stake a claim to start against City – though he may have to.
Mateo Joseph – 5
This could be the time when Joseph goes from prospect to first-team player given the injuries we are dealing with. However, he looked a little rusty when he came on during the second-half. Some of his touches were really poor. But there was one absolutely delicious flick in stoppage-time.
Junior Firpo – 5
He needs some time to get back to full fitness and sharpness. However, it is alarming that there were a couple of poor passes when trying to get out of trouble. He helped earn Leeds the penalty with a good ball into Gnonto.
Leo Hjelde – N/A
Got a chance at centre-back late on. Gave possession away once, but did not have a lot to do.
Darko Gyabi – N/A
A brief glimpse of his talent. But he came on too late to make much of a difference.