Report: SC Verl vs Leeds United

Pre-season Friendly

SC Verl 1 (Arweiler 119’)

Leeds United 4 (Piroe 25’, 40’, Gnonto 76’, Nmecha 91’)

First Half XI: Meslier (GK) (Cairns 40’), Chambers, Struijk, Bijol, Gudmundsson, Gruev, Longstaff, Piroe, James, Harrison, Gray.

Second Half XI: Cairns (GK) (Darlow 81’), Bogle, Rodon, Ampadu, Byram, Gruev (Chadwick 91’), Longstaff (Crew 81’), Tanaka, Gnonto, Nmecha, Ramazani.

Referee: Henry Schröder

Venue: SPORTCLUB Arena

Leeds United continued their pre-season schedule with a behind closed doors victory over German side SC Verl at the SPORTCLUB Arena.

As part of the gruelling preparations for the return to the Premier League, the Whites fielded two sides on the afternoon which each competed in a 60-minute match.

Beginning the encounter with a mix of youth and experience alongside new signings Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Sean Longstaff, Daniel Farke’s first half XI started immediately on the front foot in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Lovely link up play down the right flank between Joël Piroe and Dan James sent the latter into space. The Wales international fizzed a dangerous ball across the face of goal which narrowly evaded the onrushing Jack Harrison and Gudmundsson at the back post.

Moments later, Verl keeper Philipp Schulze produced a remarkable save to deny Pascal Struijk’s goalbound header from a Harrison corner, acrobatically tipping the close-range effort over the crossbar.

The hosts did offer a threat on the break and Berkan Taz would have had a sight of goal if not for an inch-perfect challenge from the retreating Sam Chambers.

On the 25-minute mark the opener arrived in style with Piroe finishing emphatically into the top corner after an incisive break!

Forward Harry Gray played an intelligent clipped pass into the path of last season’s top scorer who duly obliged, rifling a strike beyond the dive of Schulze.

A second nearly arrived shortly afterwards as Gray was denied by the foot of the post. Leeds again broke with pace through Chambers and James down the flank before the striker’s effort from a narrow angle cannoned off the upright.

The lead was extended by Piroe from 12-yards after the referee pointed to the spot in bizarre circumstances, penalising a Verl defender for handling the ball after the goalkeeper had taken a goal kick.

Despite the confusion the Dutch forward kept his composure and calmly rolled the ball into the bottom corner, sending Schulze the wrong way.

Shortly before the end of the first period, Struijk thought he had added to the advantage by heading James’ cross home, only for the assistant’s flag to be raised on the far side for an alleged offside.

HALF TIME: SC Verl 0-2 Leeds United

Farke sprung the changes at the break with just Longstaff, Ilia Gruev and first-half substitute Alex Cairns remaining from the opening period.

The new-look XI almost grabbed a third just minutes in through Largie Ramazani, as the attacker saw a powerful curling strike deflect narrowly wide of the far post.

The Belgian continued to threaten; defender Martin Ens’ services were called upon by the hosts to block a close-range effort from Ramazani before Ao Tanaka was also denied by a white shirt.

Schulze’s busy afternoon continued, this time making a superb save to parry a rasping Lukas Nmecha drive with the forward cleverly working a yard of space cutting in from the left.

There was nothing the stopper could do to prevent Willy Gnonto from finding the back of the net, though, a quarter of an hour into the second half.

Launching an electric break, the lively Ramazani threaded an intricate pass into the Italian inside the area who, after a touch to compose himself, fired hard and low for the third!

Looking for a response, the home side came close to getting on the scoresheet through Oualid Mhamdi, whose powerful free-kick was incredibly saved by the fingertips of substitute Karl Darlow at full-stretch, to the applause of everyone on United’s bench!

Down the other end, three would become four courtesy of Nmecha, well placed in the middle to bundle Ramazani’s low cross home.

Further chances came for the impressive Nmecha and Ramazani but it was Verl who pulled one back through Jonas Arweiler, before Henry Schröder’s full-time whistle brought an entertaining afternoon of football to a close.

FULL TIME: SC Verl 1-4 Leeds United

Click here to read article