Leeds United: Ethan Ampadu hailed on BBC for what he did to Robert Lewandowski
Leeds United star Ethan Ampadu has been hailed for what he did to Robert Lewandowski in the Wales game against Poland on Tuesday (26 March).
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra on Tuesday (via BBC Sport), the pundit said the 23-year-old slid across the Polish captain’s path just as he was about to shoot and did just enough to put him off.
She added that if you are going to let the 35-year-old forward shoot, then you want it to be from distance, but Ampadu’s efforts weren’t enough as Wales suffered a penalty shootout defeat to miss out on a place at the European Championships.
“Ethan Ampadu sliding across Robert Lewandowski’s path, did just enough to put him off,” said Ward. “If you’re going to have him shooting, you’d have him shooting from that sort of distance, you don’t want to give him too many opportunities.”
Leeds United star Ethan Ampadu impresses with Wales display
It was another superb performance from Ampadu on the back of what has been an outstanding first season with Leeds for him.
After impressing in midfield in Wales’ victory over Finland on 21 March, he once again started in the middle of the park against Poland.
He proved he can mix it with the best players in the world as he dealt with the threats posed by the likes of Barcelona forward Lewandowski.
The Welshman will be incredibly disappointed to see his side miss out on a place at the European Championships, though, after Dan James missed the crucial penalty in the shootout.
But he will be looking to continue putting in strong performances for the Whites over the next few weeks as they look to secure promotion to the Premier League this season.
In other Leeds United news, Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist reacted live on air to what a Whites star said.
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