Having won all three of their opening matches in the EFL Championship thus far this season, Ipswich Town would have felt confident of a fourth win as they welcomed Leeds United to Portman Road. The recently-relegated side haven’t had the best start to life in the second tier, picking up just two points from their first three games.
IPS: Hladky; Davis, Burgess, Woolfenden, Clarke; Luongo, Morsy; Broadhead, Chaplin, Burns; Jackson
LEE: Meslier; Byram, Struijk, Rodon, Ayling; Sinisterra, Ampadu, Gray, Gnonto; Piroe, Rutter
Ipswich looked destined to continue their unbeaten start to the season against Leeds United, with a Rodon own goal handing the hosts an early lead at Portman Road – with Jackson’s cross poked past Meslier by the defender.
But the Ipswich lead was shortlived, as Rutter powered home to record his first goal for Leeds United just three minutes later. The celebrations had barely halted when Gnonto poked an effort past Hladky to hand Daniel Farke’s side the lead, just days after backtracking on his decision to hand in a transfer request.
Ipswich had looked so promising at the start of the season, but their hopes of going four games unbeaten seemed to lie in tatters as Leeds bagged their third goal before the twenty-minute mark. Debutant Piroe was the benefactor, seemingly guiding the visitors to their first league win since April.
There would be relief for the hosts deep in first-half stoppage time though, as Broadhead latched onto Jackson’s cross – reducing the deficit to just one goal and setting up a blockbuster second half in Ipswich.
But with fifteen minutes of the ninety remaining, it was Sinisterra that put the game to bed with Leeds’ fourth goal of the afternoon. The Championship is known for its drama, but Ipswich rescuing anything from this game would be something of a miracle.
Eleven minutes into a lengthy period of stopage time, Chaplin did in fact pull one back for the hosts – but with that being the last kick of the game, the hosts suffer their first defeat of the campaign.
Both sides return to Carabao Cup action in midweek, with Ipswich town travelling to Reading while Leeds United head to Salford City. Both matches are scheduled for 20:00 on Tuesday, 29 August.
