Birmingham City did something to cause havoc for Lucas Perri in Leeds United win
Lucas Perri was the hero as Leeds United secured a penalty shootout victory against Birmingham City on Sunday.
The Brazilian has come under increasing levels of scrutiny at Elland Road this season, with Karl Darlow replacing him in between the sticks.
Perri was afforded his first start since early January at St Andrews’, and he justified his inclusion as he put in a hugely positive shift in the FA Cup.
He made a save in the shootout before Patrick Roberts blazed over, allowing Sean Longstaff to grab the eventual winner in the Midlands.
The 28-year-old was deserving of his moment of glory for the Whites, but even he had to be honest and reveal what so nearly ruined his chances of penalty shootout success.
Lucas Perri left blindsided by Birmingham City
Perri was seen before the penalty shootout assessing the data of Birmingham players to see where they were likely to go.
That isn’t unusual as keepers are known to have details written on water bottles to have a better chance of going the right way from a spot kick.
Preparations ultimately worked out for the Leeds keeper as he made a save from Tommy Doyle to help send the Whites on their way to victory.
Ironically, the Brazilian has since revealed that his research turned out to mean very little, as Birmingham had no numbers on their shorts.
Their anniversary kit was very minimal and made things difficult for Perri, something which he revealed after the shootout on TNT Sports.
He said: “We had a video, but for the first two penalties, because they don’t have numbers on their shorts, it was difficult for me to see.
“For the third, we didn’t know exactly where he would shoot, so I just went on instinct.“
Sean Longstaff was delighted for Perri after Leeds United win
There have been questions over Perri’s future in recent weeks, with a January exit discussed after just six months in LS11.
Daniel Farke ultimately ended up keeping the ex-Lyon man around, and it looks to have been a wise decision based on his showing against Blues.
He seemingly has a positive impact on the squad in Yorkshire, with Longstaff speaking highly of the keeper after his penalty heroics.
He said: “I thought Lucas was excellent today. He was massive in there, not just in the shootout, but the whole game.
“He made two or three massive saves, and we ground out a result. I’m really happy for Lucas because it’s been a bit up and down, and he deserves it today.“
There will now be fresh hope that this can represent the beginning of a much better second half of the season for Leeds’ number one.
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