Marco Bielsa orders his Leeds side to let Aston Villa score after scoring a controversial goal of their own!
Leeds played Aston Villa at the weekend in a massive game for who plays who in the playoffs. Leeds still had a very slim chance of getting automatic promotion. The Yorkshire side needed to win their two remaining games, whilst Sheffield United lost their remaining one. Leeds would also have to close a goal difference gap of 13. If Leeds didn’t take the three points then Sheffield United would have been guaranteed Premier League football next year.
The game was 0-0 and Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia went down after a challenge with Leeds defender Cooper. The referee didn’t blow his whistle or stop the game. The two sides both appeared to stop, suggesting that Leeds should kick the ball out. It turned out Villa had stopped the play earlier when they were on the attack as a Leeds player was down.
Tyler Roberts had the ball and went had the opportunity to put it out of play. Instead, he played the ball to Klisch who was free on the left wing. He ran on and scored to give Leeds the lead and then it erupted between everyone involved with both teams.
Aston Villas midfielder Hourihane was livid and grabbed Klisch by his top straight away. All the other players on the pitch came running over and got involved. Patrick Bamford, the Leeds striker, could be seen getting involved and managed to get El Ghazi sent off. Bamford made the most of some minimal contact from the winger, who will now miss the playoffs for Aston Villa.
However, Bamford could also miss it if the league decide to take action for his simulation in the sending off. Aston Villa has also confirmed they are going to appeal the red card. They expect the decision to get fully overturned.
The drama didn’t stop there though. John Terry and Bielsa could be seen shouting at each other on the line and the ref tried to calm the situation down. As the ball returned to the centre circle, Bielsa could be seen giving instructions to his players. He was telling them to let Aston Villa go and score.
Villa went down the other end of the pitch to score but it wasn’t as easy as they would have expected. Leeds captain Pontus Jansson tried to stop them scoring before his teammates told him otherwise. Villa got the equaliser much to Jansson’s disgust. His teammates came over to him, all having a go at him.
The game went on to finish 1-1 and both sides are now just waiting for the playoffs.
The two teams could face each other in the playoffs which will be sure to be a heated game after this one. Leeds and Villa are both 2/1.