Pre-season Friendly

Leeds United 0

AS Monaco 2 (Ben Yedder 60’ pen, Volland 78’)

Leeds: Meslier (GK), Ayling (Drameh 66’), Ampadu (Shackleton 66’), Cooper (C) (Cresswell 45’), Summerville (Gnonto 45’), James (Bamford 66’), Struijk, Gray (Gyabi 66’), Sinisterra (Gelhardt 45’), Rutter (Joseph 66’), Hjelde (Byram 66’). Subs not used: Klaesson (GK), Van den Heuvel, Bate, Poveda. 

Monaco: Kohn (GK), Akliouche, Seghir, Boadu, Camara, Olivieira Campos, Disasi (C), Matazo, Matsima, Okou, Oliveira Silva. Second half: Kohn (GK) (Liennard 62’), Ben Yedder, Golovin, Diop, Maripan, Jakobs, Valme, Aguilar (Magassa 72’), Fofana, Diatta, Volland.

Referee: Bobby Madley

Booked: n/a

Venue: LNER Community Stadium, York

Attendance: 8,209

Leeds United faced French Ligue 1 opposition AS Monaco at the LNER Community Stadium in York, in what proved to be a competitive match. 

Daniel Farke’s side created plenty of chances and saw much of the ball, but two second half goals from the visitors saw them run out winners in the match, during a 90 minutes which allowed the new first team manager to give minutes to 20 players. 

New signing Ethan Ampadu started the match in a deep-lying midfield position, alongside academy graduate Archie Gray. The defence began with Illan Meslier in goal, Leo Hjelde left-back, captain Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk in the middle and Luke Ayling on the right. 

The front four that Farke decided to start with was Dan James, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Sinisterra and Georginio Rutter, who regularly interchanged with one another position wise in the opening 45 minutes. 

A first chance of the game arrived for Leeds inside the opening 10 minutes. Ampadu showed his range of passing, picking out the onrushing Sinisterra at the back of the box, but the winger couldn’t keep his shot down. 

Coming even closer moments later, Hjelde was up from left-back and nearly capitalised on a loose ball, drilling low at goal only to see Philipp Kohn make a strong save in the Monaco net.  

Both also coming from crosses, the next players looking to break the deadlock were James and Ayling, but neither could find the target.  

The visitors had offered very little going forward and were restricted to strikes from range when they did get into the Leeds half. Eliesse Ben Seghir was the player to try his luck a couple of times, but nothing troubled Meslier. 

The teams went in at half-time level and despite the goalless scoreline, it had been entertaining in York. 

HALF TIME: Leeds United 0-0 AS Monaco

Out for the second half, Monaco made a number of changes to their line-up whilst the Whites had swapped just three. On came Charlie Cresswell for Struijk, Willy Gnonto for Summerville and Joe Gelhardt replaced Sinisterra. 

The away side were awarded a penalty early in the second half. Gnonto was adjudged to have fouled Edan Diop and up stepped Wissam Ben Yedder from the spot to tuck home and put Monaco ahead. 

Farke made further changes shortly after the goal. Mateo Joseph, Patrick Bamford, Jamie Shackleton, Sam Byram, Darko Gyabi and Cody Drameh all entered the game. They replaced Ayling, Ampadu, Gray, James, Hjelde, Rutter.

Leeds were seeing most of the ball and continued to push forward, but they were limited to set-play opportunities as the match edged towards the final 15 minutes - none of which were capitalised on.

With 12 minutes to go, Krepin Diatta put in an excellent cross to the back post and picked out his teammate, Kevin Volland. The striker looped a clever header into the top corner to double the advantage for Monaco. 

There was to be one final chance was Bamford found space in the box in the final few seconds, but his effort which was heading in, was cleared behind by Magassa to deny the forward. That was to be the final action of this pre-season friendly, with the whistle for full time going shortly after.  

FULL TIME: Leeds United 0-2 AS Monaco