Leeds United fans likely expected an easy victory in their opening Championship match against Portsmouth after Pascal Struijk scored an early penalty at Elland Road.
However, as frequently happens with the Whites, the game took an unexpected turn. Portsmouth quickly turned the tables, taking a 2-1 lead before halftime thanks to a long-range strike from Callum Lang.
In the end, it fell to Brenden Aaronson to be the hero of the day in West Yorkshire to clinch a last-gasp point, so Daniel Farke’s men didn’t feel humiliated by their newly promoted opponents, with John Mousinho’s men somewhat fortunate to collect a share of the points in the barnstorming 3-3 contest.
| Leeds’ last five meetings with Pompey | |
|---|---|
| Date | Result |
| Aug 2007 | 3-0 Loss |
| Dec 2010 | 3-3 Draw |
| Jan 2011 | 2-2 Draw |
| Oct 2011 | 1-0 Win |
| Feb 2012 | 0-0 Draw |
Portsmouth managed just four shots on target throughout the game, while Leeds had ten, but Whites goalkeeper Illan Meslier had a disappointing performance.
Meslier’s game vs Portsmouth in numbers:
Meslier has long been a contentious figure among Leeds supporters, and performances like his against Portsmouth will likely keep him in the spotlight. The 24-year-old made only one save during the match, which allowed Portsmouth to become increasingly confident, testing the former Lorient keeper from various angles.
That was seen in Lang’s first of the exhilarating 3-3 draw somehow squirming in from distance after Meslier couldn’t deal with a straightforward Elias Sørensen opener that was hit straight at him for the South Coast outfit to equalise.
The 6 foot 6 presence also looked uncomfortable at points with his distribution from the back, not helped by Joe Rodon in front of him also having an off-day with some wayward passing, with just two accurate long balls managed all afternoon, as Leeds had to make do with an unsatisfactory share of the points to start the new second tier season.
However, away from Rodon and Meslier not covering themselves in glory defensively, there was an even more underwhelming performer at the back in the form of Jayden Bogle, who struggled back in the thick of it in the Championship, after a promising set of pre-season performances.
Bogle’s game vs Portsmouth in numbers
Bogle will just hope he’s getting his dodgy displays out of his system early on this campaign, as the former Sheffield United man struggled to competently complete his defensive duties all match.
The brand-new Whites number two did shine going forward in patches, with two big chances created all of his own working, but the ex-Blades right-back gave away the penalty that nearly allowed Portsmouth to win 3-2, before Aaronson’s last-gasp heroics.
| Bogle’s numbers vs Portsmouth | |
|---|---|
| Stat | Bogle |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 69 |
| Accurate passes completed | 34/43 (79%) |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Big chances created | 2 |
| Successful dribbles completed | 2/3 |
| Duels won | 9/19 |
| Possession lost | 15x |
| Stats by Sofascore | |
Bogle struggled to make an impact as a robust and assertive full-back, winning only nine of 19 duels and losing possession 15 times due to wayward passes. His performance allowed Portsmouth frequent opportunities to re-enter the game.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth gave Bogle a low rating of 4/10, noting that Bogle was “bizarrely” positioned for Portsmouth’s first goal, among other issues with his game.
It will be intriguing to see if Daniel Farke sticks with his recent acquisition for Leeds United’s EFL Cup match against Middlesbrough this week, or if he opts for players like Sam Byram or other reserve defenders, given the 24-year-old’s challenging performance in competitive action. Byram might be a solid alternative for the mid-week fixture.
As the Championship season unfolds, Leeds fans will be concerned that a slow start could prove costly in their promotion bid.