The second half of Thursday’s 2-1 win against Brisbane Roar wasn’t exactly a show-stopper. Jesse Marsch rung the changes at the break, and a disjointed and unfamiliar Leeds United line-up struggled to connect as the Australian outfit grew in confidence and intensity.
It will have done Leeds’ preparations some good to be under a concerted period of pressure, with the defence put under considerably more strain than the first-half - which at times resembled a training drill. But there was sloppiness in possession and a vulnerability out of it that requires some work.
One shining light in that lacklustre second 45 was Darko Gyabi. The 18-year-old was one of several half-time changes, coming into the midfield with Tyler Adams, and produced a considered and mature first performance in a Leeds shirt. The teenager looked composed beyond his years in tight midfield spaces and often dropped deep to dictate the play.
