Derby County v Leeds United FA Cup

Derby County 1 v Leeds United 3 (FA Cup Third Round)

FA Cup 3rd Round, Derby County v Leeds United at Pride Park.

The teams

Leeds United came from behind at half-time to beat Championship side Derby County in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup at Pride Park. Leeds made eight changes from their midweek Premier League 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United at St James' Park, resting key players, while Derby fielded a strong side with no midweek commitments.

Derby took a surprise first half lead through Ben Brereton Díaz, but Leeds' came back in the second half with quickfire goals from Wilfried Gnonto and Japanese midfielder Ao Tanaka, before James Justin sealed the win in stoppage time. Leeds dominated possession and created numerous chances, including a missed penalty, but Derby's hard-working display made for an entertaining tie.

Tanaka Ao corner

Leeds began on the front foot, dictating possession and applying pressure high up the pitch. Their early momentum earned them a penalty in the 18th minute after a foul in the area, but Joël Piroe was denied from the spot as Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström read the kick and pushed it away. Despite the setback, Leeds remained in control, twice striking the woodwork and carving out further opportunities, including a powerful long-range effort from Gnonto that forced another sharp save from Zetterström.

Match action

Despite being outplayed, Derby struck first in the 35th minute. Ben Brereton Díaz finished a swift counterattack by calmly placing the ball beyond Karl Darlow to hand the hosts an unexpected 1-0 lead. Leeds pushed hard for an equalizer before the interval, but Piroe's deflected effort was kept out and Okafor was flagged offside on the follow-up. Derby went into halftime ahead, even as Leeds dominated the ball with 66% possession and registered more attempts on goal.

Gnonto & Tanaka

Second Half

Leeds emerged revitalized after the interval, earning early corners and maintaining pressure. In the 55th minute, Wilfried Gnonto equalized with a powerful drive, assisted by Jaka Bijol's pass and a clever dummy from Piroe. Just four minutes later, in the 59th minute, Ao Tanaka put Leeds ahead, tapping in from close range after Zetterström parried Piroe's shot from a slick move involving Nmecha and Okafor.

Derby tried to shift the momentum with changes, introducing Ozoh and Brewster to add fresh impetus, and briefly applied pressure through a pair of corners, one of which saw Batth head wide. As Derby committed bodies forward in the closing stages, Leeds exploited the space on the break, and in the third minute of stoppage time substitute James Justin swept home Nmecha's low cross to seal a 3-1 victory and extinguish any lingering hopes of a comeback.

Heads

Line ups

Derby County (4-4-1-1):

GK: Jacob Widell Zetterström, Joe Ward, Sondre Klingen Langås, Danny Batth, Craig Forsyth; Ben Brereton Díaz, Lewis Travis, Oscar Fraulo, Corey Blackett-Taylor; Bobby Clark, Lars-Jørgen Salvesen

Substitutes used: David Ozoh (for Blackett-Taylor, 63'), Rhian Brewster (for Travis, 63'), Kwaku Oduroh Agyemang (for Salvesen, 73'), Freddie Eames (for Clark, 73').

Leeds United (3-4-1-2)

GK: Karl Darlow, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Ethan Ampadu, Jaka Bijol, Wilfried Gnonto, Ilia Gruev, Ao Tanaka, Jack Harrison, Joël Piroe, Noah Okafor, Lukas Nmecha

Substitutes used: Sean Longstaff (for Gruev, 73'), Sam Byram (for Gnonto, 86'), Brenden Aaronson (for Piroe, 89'), Anton Stach (for Okafor, 89'), James Justin (entered late, scorer in 90'+3').