Leeds abroad: International Roundup

How did Leeds United players perform during the first round of international fixtures?

By Josh Ramsbottom@theleedsknees Oct 9, 2020, 8:30am BST

Portugal v Spain -International Friendly — Rodrigo Moreno evades Joao Moutinho during Spain’s goalless draw in Portugal.

Leeds United have been represented by no fewer than nine players in the last two days on the international stage.

From Diego Llorente pocketing Cristiano Ronaldo, to Liam Cooper coming marginally close to a 120th-minute winner, here is the roundup of their performances for their countries.

Spain - Rodrigo & Diego Llorente

It was not so long ago that Leeds could barely muster two international players in their entire squad. On Wednesday (07/10/20) night, however, two featured for Spain alone. Only Barcelona had as many players in the Spanish eleven that held onto a goalless draw against Portugal.

Rodrigo Moreno followed up his eye-catching Manchester City performance with a positive first half display before being taken off at half-time, having registered two shots.

Yet to make his Leeds debut, Diego Llorente showed fans what they can expect from him at centre-back as he stopped Cristiano Ronaldo in his tracks in the Spain area.

The Juventus forward was one of two to hit the post for Portugal but Spain ensured the friendly ended in a stalemate.

Germany - Robin Koch

Germany v Turkey - International Friendly — Robin Koch on the ball during Germany’s 3-3 draw with Turkey in Cologne.

The defender keeping Llorente out of the starting eleven at Elland Road reaped the rewards at international level, playing the full 90 minutes as Germany thrice lost their lead over Turkey in a 3-3 thriller.

300 fans watched Koch make his fourth international appearance as Germany were made to wait for their first win of 2020.

Poland - Mateusz Klich

Poland v Finland - International Friendly — Mateusz Klich wins a header after coming on as a substitute during Poland’s 5-1 victory against Finland in Gdansk.

It was a quieter affair than usual for Mateusz Klich on international duty, after he started on the bench for Poland’s 5-1 thrashing of Finland.

The 29-year-old came on for striker Krzysztof Piatek in the 72nd minute, at which point his side was already winning 4-1 to the delight of the 3000 fans in attendance.

England - Kalvin Phillips

England v Wales - International Friendly — Kalvin Phillips celebrates with his England teammates after Danny Ings scored the final goal in their 3-0 win over Wales at Wembley.

International newbies Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Conor Coady and Jack Grealish were among those stealing the headlines during the Three Lions’ 3-0 win over Wales, but Kalvin Phillips still enjoyed a decent outing for his Wembley debut.

A 94% pass accuracy and glimpses of his ball-winning ability helped him carry out a respectable display while partnering Harry Winks in central midfield.

Wales - Tyler Roberts

On the receiving end of the defeat, not so much can be said about Tyler Roberts’ performance in a match where he received little service beyond half-time.

The 21-year-old still executed three shots and even won a free kick from Leeds teammate Phillips’ challenge, if that counts for anything.

Scotland - Liam Cooper

Scotland v Israel - Play-Off Semi-Finals — Liam Cooper watches his last-gasp header hit the woodwork prior to Scotland’s first ever penalty shootout, against Israel in Glasgow.

No one knows what was going through Liam Cooper’s head when, with the game against Israel goalless, he saw his header cannon off the post in the 120th minute, forcing Scotland into their first ever penalty shootout.

Fortunately for the Leeds captain, his side prevailed on their shootout debut, and are now 90 minutes away from qualifying for the European Championships.

Cooper had otherwise enjoyed a solid game; no player won more than his three tackles, while he was among the highest rated players (7.6) across the 120 minutes on WhoScored.

Northern Ireland - Stuart Dallas

Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland - Play-Off Semi-Finals — Stuart Dallas celebrates with goalscorer Niall McGinn, who levelled the scores at 1-1 for Northern Ireland against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Sarajevo.

Another home nation just one game away from the Euros, Stuart Dallas starred at right-back for Northern Ireland in their penalty shootout victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Marcelo Bielsa’s utility man swept home his country’s first penalty after putting on a workmanlike display in defence for the 600 supporters in the stands.

North Macedonia - Ezgjan Alioski

Israel v North Macedonia - UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier — Ezgjan Alioski, pictured here playing for North Macedonia in September 2019, completed 90 minutes in their 2-1 win over Kosovo.

Oh, the thought of Ezgjan Alioski wreaking havoc at the Euros. It could become a reality after North Macedonia defeated Kosovo 2-1 in their qualifying group play-off.

The Leeds fan favourite had more shots than any other player (five), while also contributing three crosses while operating as a wing-back.

Which Leeds United player impressed you the most on the international stage? Do you think Diego Llorente’s display versus Portugal warrants his place in the first team at Elland Road? Let us know your thoughts @ThruItAllLUFC