Leeds United writer Lee Sobot with his verdict from the Elland Road stands on the 2-1 victory against La Liga visitors Valencia in this summer's final pre-season friendly.
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00:00Hello there, we're back. Lee Sobot at the Yorkshire Evening Post here from Ellen Road
00:05where Leeds United have finished their pre-season friendlies with a 2-1 victory against Valencia.
00:11Valencia from La Liga, Valencia who finished 9th in the Spanish top division last season
00:16and a Valencia side that were really pretty easily brushed aside, albeit they scored at
00:20the end to make it 2-1. But you've got to say, a pretty impressive display from Daniel
00:25Farke's side to make it four wins out of four in pre-season. You can't do any more
00:30than that. Obviously, it's all about the season itself and pre-season friendlies and whatever.
00:35Don't always, you know, not always be all and end all. But very, very encouraging signs
00:39I would say and I think everybody here was very impressed with what they saw. Particularly
00:44from Georginio Routier who was probably mad at the match and the young striker Matteo
00:48Joseph who it looks like finally is going to get the chance to be Leeds United's main
00:52number nine, at least for the start of the season. And he only took 14 minutes to make
00:56an impact as it was his goal that put Leeds 1-0 up after fantastic play from Routier to
01:01slip him through. Absolutely brilliant finish, it was his first real chance of the game,
01:05turned his defender, kept a cool head, smart finish, very composed and that was 1-0. And
01:10he then played a big part in the second goal, bumping a defender off the ball to leave a
01:16free ball for Routier to charge in on goal. Routier, in a similar fashion really, like
01:21beat his man, left him on the deck and an absolutely superb finish to lob the ball into
01:25the far corner of the net with two defenders scrambling back, which made it all the more
01:29dramatic really and that was a fantastic goal as well. And more chances for Leeds in the
01:33first half, could have had more goals really, Valencia very rarely threatened. The second
01:38half got particularly scrappy, so much so that Valencia ended up going down to 10 men
01:43when Raf Mir was sent off for a second yellow. He should have already gone earlier when he
01:46put his hands in Ampadu's face, after a little clash between those two, if you do that in
01:52a league game, you're off. So, obviously, I suppose in a friendly, different rules might
01:55apply, but he should have been gone and he was gone in the end after a late one on Firpo's.
01:58That was then down to 10 men for the end of the game. There was a few more other incidents
02:03which could have been more yellow cards and whatever, but as I say, they look to be heading
02:07for a 2-0 victory and then right at the end, a deflected strike from the edge of the box,
02:11Melio no chance with that really and finish 2-1, full-time whistle, bang on 90 minutes,
02:15over 30,000 here, I think it's around about 33,000, fantastic attendance, great atmosphere,
02:20loads of yellow shirts, a real sea of yellow and white, a yellow and white wall and just
02:24very, very promising. Cricencio Somerville obviously will not be here, he's signing for
02:29West Ham, so that's a huge miss for Leeds next season. Obviously, with Archie going
02:33as well, that is no doubt two huge losses, but players are coming in as well. What you
02:37would say is that this team's looking very, very good, it looks very promising. Somerville
02:41now in particular, the last season's player of the year, with all the goals he got and
02:44assists, someone like that needs replacing and obviously it remains to be seen what happens
02:48with Willy Nonto, who did start today and looked pretty lively. Also, returns for Brendan
02:53Aronson and Max Verber off the bench, it has to be said both of them got a few boos, which
02:57is not particularly surprising after last season's lone exit escapes, but if they keep
03:02playing well and settle in and ultimately help this team get promoted, that will soon
03:07be forgotten, so we'll wait and see what happens with that. Jadon Bogle, who's obviously very
03:12keen you signing it right back, he went off with an injury and obviously everyone was
03:15a bit worried about that, but it seems like that's just a dead leg, so hopefully he'll
03:18be back pretty soon. And all roads now obviously lead to the first game of the season, which
03:23is at home to newly promoted Paul Smith, it soon comes around. Next Saturday, 12.30 kick-off
03:27here at Ellen Road. You'd say Leeds have probably got to start well, they didn't start well
03:31last season, but the title favourites, and if they can start well and keep going, you
03:34know, build momentum, there's no reason why they shouldn't get it right on the second
03:38attempt under Daniel Farker. Lots of good players in this squad, there's no doubt about
03:41that, even in the line for the ones that have gone, but as I say, I think it is key
03:45that Somerville is replaced and that might well be the difference. But lots of good players,
03:49lots of good performances, a really entertaining game, now it's on to the real stuff. It's
03:53finished here, Leeds United 2, Valencia 1.