Leeds United lost 1-0 to Aston Villa on day six of their pre-season tour of Australia. A Danny Ings penalty was what split the two sides at the Suncorp Stadium and there was plenty to discuss as young Archie Gray needed to be stretchered off after a heavy tackle from John McGinn.
Leeds Live is in Brisbane to report on the tour, here’s what happened on Sunday.
That matchday feel
Travelling through Brisbane city centre on Sunday morning, it became immediately clear that the clash against Aston Villa would be different to the one three days earlier against Brisbane Roar in Gold Coast. Fans wearing both white and claret and blue could be seen making their way through the streets towards the Suncorp and Caxton Street, where a chunk of supporters gathered before the contest.
Read more: Marsch's John McGinn chat, Watkins' disbelief and Leeds United moments missed from Aston Villa
Flags were flying outside bars down the famous road and inside those bars, thousands of supporters could be seen enjoying pre-match pint before making their way around the corner to the stadium. An attendance of 40,918 watched the game in Brisbane, with Leeds and Villa fans piling through the turnstiles in equal measure and it made for a great atmosphere.
The action gave fans something to get behind, too, as both clubs battled it out for the Queensland Champions Cup. It wasn’t quite as intense as Premier League game, but it was close enough and those Australian based supporters were left entertained.
Tempers flare
This may have been a friendly match, but no one told the players that as they dived into tackles and got stuck into each other in the Australian sunshine. A number of players from both teams committed hefty fouls during the game and after simmering for some time, the game almost spilled over when McGinn left Gray on the ground with a wild challenge.
Fortunately, despite being caught high on his ankle, it seems Gray has only suffered a sprained ankle, but the referee felt the need to dish out two yellow cards, with McGinn earning one for his challenge and Gray picking one up moments later after catching Emiliano Buendia. In truth, the Australia referee could have done more to prevent the game being so heated by getting a tighter grip of the contest.
Free day
After their second game of the week, Leeds will be given a day off on Monday to explore Brisbane and its surrounding areas before they board their flight to Perth on Tuesday. Many of them will have taken the opportunity to have a meal on Sunday night and while they’ll remain disciplined, they’ll make the most of their freedom.
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