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Miracle at Molineux: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 Leeds United

A second-half turnaround earns Leeds a huge three points.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United - Premier League
The Leeds team celebrate the winner in front of the away supporters.
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Leeds United looked down and out at half-time, but they came back in the second to beat Wolves 3-2 at Molineux.

Both sides looked dangerous from the get-go, with Podence and Rodrigo threatening early before Bamford’s good opportunity on 12 minutes. He broke into the right channel and looked to catch out the keeper at the near post, and succeeded, but didn’t manage to hit the target.

Bamford was then subbed off with an injury before Wolves hit Leeds with a sucker punch just minutes later. Trincao opened up some room behind the overcommitted Stuart Dallas on the right, squaring it to Jonny who had drifted into the middle and fired the ball into the net.

Trincao then hit the post later on from long range before getting his goal deep into first-half added time as the away side fell asleep from a Wolves free-kick. It arrived at the feet of Trincao on the edge of the box, who swept the ball into the bottom left corner as it looked as though Wolves were set to put a woeful Leeds side to bed.

But Leeds were handed a lifeline on 53 minutes when Raul Jimenez went in on a 50/50 challenge with Illan Meslier and didn’t get there first, clattering Meslier in the process. Jimenez was sent down the tunnel, and Meslier followed shortly due to injury.

Ten minutes later, The Whites are well and truly back in the game as Ayling was put through on goal on the right channel by Robin Koch’s excellent crossfield pass. He fired a low finish off the inside of the post. His second attempt was cleared off the line before Jack Harrison fired the ball home from close range.

The equaliser came just a few minutes later as James went through on the left side, lifting the ball over the keeper and hitting the post himself. He followed up before Saiss’ clearance looped high up in the air and was brought down by Sam Greenwood into the path of Rodrigo, who brought the ball to the by-line and hit the ball off Coady and into the net.

Things were level, but the performance didn’t give the aura of a team ready to take all three points, with both sides missing chances as the game went on.

That was until Luke Ayling arrived on the scene in the 91st minute, who headed the initially overhit free-kick back across goal. It was brought down by Struijk without any real control, but Ayling came back into the picture and whacked the ball through the legs of the keeper before topping things off with a questionable celebration.

Now an international break will hopefully help recoveries from the FOUR injuries which forced substitutions for Llorente, Meslier, Bamford, and Klich. Jesse Marsch believed after the game that all four would be okay, and for the sake of themselves and the team, let’s hope so.