May 13 – With the final dubbed as ‘the richest game in football’, the Championship play-offs served up a pair of nil-nil draws during the opening legs between Norwich and Leeds, and West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.
Leeds United drew 0-0 with Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday. Both teams looked to maintain a clean sheet heading into the second leg. A cagey affair, the match saw a whopping 27 fouls dished out across the 90 minutes with the intensity set to escalate further when the pair meet again later this week.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke felt his side were hard done by after Junior Firpo’s tap-in was ruled out for offside in the build-up.
“I’m annoyed with this because we’re playing on a top level and small details make a difference. If you go in the lead with an easy tap-in, here in a difficult away game, obviously changes the whole picture,” Farke said.
The match meant a bitter return for the former Norwich manager, who said he would ‘take a draw’ heading into the return fixture at Elland Road on Thursday.
Meanwhile, fellow semi-finalists Southampton drew 0-0 with West Brom at the Hawthorns in a fixture brimming with frustration and missed opportunities. Despite feeling unlucky not to enter the second leg with an advantage, Saints are the strong favourites to head to Wembley if it all goes to plan at a packed-out St Marys on Friday evening.
“I feel really really positive about the return leg and I’m really looking forward to Friday,” said Southampton boss Russell Martin.
“The first leg is always very cagey, we’re one game away from Wembley, at home where our record has been really good.”
Leeds will host Norwich on Thursday to determine the first finalist, before West Brom travel to Southampton to decide the second spot at Wembley on May 26.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1732313369labto1732313369ofdlr1732313369owedi1732313369sni@g1732313369niwe.1732313369yrrah1732313369