Leeds United climbed to second place in the Championship standings by halting Sheffield Wednesday’s four-game winning streak with a confident victory in the Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough.
Just before halftime, Patrick Bamford put the visitors in front by tapping in at the far post from Junior Firpo’s cross. The Owls’ defense was exposed once more as Wilfried Gnonto scored Leeds’ second goal from a rapid attacking move.
Wednesday struggled to mount a response after Bamford’s opener, failing to maintain their recent good form and remain stuck in the relegation zone.
Leeds’ victory sees them overtake Ipswich Town to claim second place, moving one point ahead of the Tractor Boys, who are set to face Cardiff on Saturday.
For Sheffield Wednesday, their winning streak ends, leaving them in 23rd place, level on points with Stoke and Huddersfield in a tightly contested battle for survival in the Championship.
Early in the match, Wednesday had a chance to take the lead when Marvin Johnson’s corner found Anthony Musaba, only for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier to make a remarkable save.
Georginio Rutter threatened twice for Leeds, first with an attempted lob over Wednesday keeper James Beadle, and then with a header that grazed the top of the net.
Following a collision between Joe Rodon and Firpo, four minutes of added time were played in the first half, benefiting Leeds as Bamford capitalized on Akin Famewo’s failure to mark him, scoring his seventh goal in 10 league games in 2024.
In the twelfth minute of the second half, Leeds extended their lead when Meslier initiated a free-kick upfield, leading to Rutter eventually setting up Gnonto to score comfortably.
Immediately after the restart, the visitors had an opportunity to increase their lead as Crysencio Summerville’s shot forced a rapid save from Beadle, but they managed to maintain their advantage for a determined victory over their Yorkshire adversaries.