Leeds United panic v Oxford amazes after Joe Rodon moment — ‘Unbelievable’
Leeds United beat Oxford in the Championship on Friday, with one moment involving Joe Rodon catching the eyes on talkSPORT.
Daniel Farke’s team travelled to Kassam Stadium on 18 April as they sought to secure a valuable three points and maintain their lead in the table.
The first half between the Whites and the U’s was back and forth, with Manor Solomon eventually giving the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute as the game ended 1-0.
Before the break, a few players from Gary Rowett’s team were impressive at the Kassam, with Przemyslaw Placheta one of them.
Placheta mesmerised with speed in Leeds United win v Oxford
Placheta’s turn of pace was “unbelievable” as he drove into the Whites’ box, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk says.
The former Sheffield United forward was left amazed by the Oxford winger’s pace as he threatened the West Yorkshire outfit’s defence in the opening 45 minutes.
| Championship (2024/25) | Points |
| 1. Leeds United | 91 |
| 2. Burnley | 91 |
| 3. Sheffield United | 86 |
Sweetman-Kirk praised Joe Rodon for nullifying the threat in that moment, as his defensive partners may have had a hard time dealing with what the 27-year-old Poland international did.
Speaking on talkSPORT (18 April, 20:37), the English forward said: “Unbelievable. Placheta went into fast-forward mode. And then at that point, when he drives into the box, you can see the Leeds defenders panicking.
“Rodon does well, and it’s easier for him because he’s coming from the angle of the ball, so he can sort of come across. For all the other defenders, it’s a weird angle, and they don’t want to dangle a foot and give a penalty.”
Farke confident of Championship promotion after beating Oxford
Farke’s future at Elland Road may depend on the Whites’ ability to return to the Premier League in the coming weeks.
The German manager failed in the play-offs final against Southampton last season and must do better this time around.
While the West Yorkshire outfit have been one of the favourites to win promotion, they’ve faced some scares in recent weeks.
Leeds found themselves out of the Championship top two after three consecutive draws, but are in a rather comfortable position going into the final stretch of the season.
Farke will be confident of winning automatic Premier League promotion as they sit five points ahead of third-place Sheffield United with three games left to go.
The German head coach would’ve wanted the three points at the Kassam to calm the nerves around Elland Road.
With the West Yorkshire outfit’s next two fixtures at home, the home fans will be much more positive against Stoke and Bristol City as they have one hand on the Championship title.
If and when the Peacocks return to the English top flight, things will arguably be much more competitive as they’ll hope to survive relegation.