December 25, 2024

Soccer-Leeds edge Bournemouth 4-3 with stunning second-half comeback

Bournemouth #Bournemouth

Premier League - Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth © Reuters/CRAIG BROUGH Premier League – Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth

LEEDS, England (Reuters) – Leeds United bounced back from two goals down to edge Bournemouth 4-3 in an exhilarating, end-to-end encounter at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Despite finding themselves 3-1 down early in the second half, Jesse Marsch’s Leeds mounted an epic comeback with the vociferous home support behind them to take all three points and move up to 12th in the standings.

Leeds started the game on the attack and were awarded a penalty in the third minute when Crysencio Summerville was fouled in the box and a composed Rodrigo stepped up to send goalkeeper Mark Travers the wrong way and open the scoring.

Premier League - Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth © Reuters/CRAIG BROUGH Premier League – Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth

As Elland Road celebrated the early goal to create an intimidating atmosphere, Bournemouth remained unperturbed and equalised through Marcus Tavernier before Philip Billing directed a first-time strike into the roof of the net to put them ahead.

Premier League - Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth © Reuters/JOHN CLIFTON Premier League – Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth

Bournemouth scored their third goal two minutes into the second half when Tavernier turned provider again on a counter-attack that began from a Leeds corner and was finished in style by Dominic Solanke.

Leeds refused to give in and struck twice in eight minutes to level the score, with 20-year-old Sam Greenwood first curling an effort past the keeper from outside the box before his delivery from a corner was headed home by Liam Cooper.

In the 84th minute, Leeds stormed forward on yet another counter-attack where Summerville burst into the box and latched on to a through ball from Wilfried Gnonto to make it 4-3.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)

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