Calvert-Lewin cancels out Schade’s opener as Leeds salvage point against Brentford

These nascent moments of the new season can often provide false hope but, as both sets of players shook hands after what was indisputably the correct result at Elland Road, it was difficult not to imagine we had just witnessed a contest between two sides that should have lofty ­ambitions for the months ahead.

Leeds and Brentford were vic­torious on the opening weekend in differing circumstances. Leeds crafted a hard-earned but ultimately deserved win at Nottingham Forest, while Brentford dismantled Tottenham. Time will tell what the ceiling of these sides is but, as they each continued their unbeaten starts here, hopes should be high.

This was a thoroughly ­entertaining game but it was also an occasion in which the managers, as well as the players, displayed their importance to their respective clubs.

Managers are scrutinised at every turn but Daniel Farke and Keith Andrews both excelled here. Both have had question marks as to whether they were the right man to take their team forward: Andrews when he was surprisingly appointed just over a year ago, and Farke in the difficult early stages of last season.

Andrews’s tactical nous was at its peak in the first half. He nullified the Leeds back five and his team led at half-time and probably should have been more than a single goal in front. Kevin Schade’s wonderful flick to turn home a Keane Lewis-Potter cross was the least the visitors deserved.

However, Farke showed his own tactical flexibility at the break. The German was under immense pressure last November and at real risk of losing his job before a move to a back five away at Manchester City proved the catalyst to transform Leeds’s season. He did the reverse here, going back to a four and matching Brentford in the second half to great effect.

Spearheaded by the impact of Ao Tanaka and Lukas Nmecha, both on as substitutes, the hosts were the stronger of the two sides after half‑time. They ultimately got the equaliser their play deserved when ­Nmecha’s shot across goal was prodded home by Dominic Calvert-Lewin to ensure it would be a point apiece, and four from the first two for both sides.

The early evidence overall? Leeds and Brentford should both be ­looking upwards this season. “It’s definitely a good point,” Farke said. “It was a very difficult and complicated game like we expected. Brentford were ­excellent in the first half and deserved to be in the lead, but I’m so proud of our reaction.”

His side struggled to get to grips with Brentford’s shape in the first half. Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach were overrun in midfield, with the visitors’ three of Vitaly Janelt, ­Mamadou ­Sangaré and ­Mikkel Damsgaard ­running riot. James ­Trafford was called into action on multiple occasions, with smart saves to deny Igor Thiago and Schade.

Such was the strength of Brentford’s momentum that a goal felt inevitable. It duly arrived as half‑time approached when Lewis-Potter’s cross caught the Leeds backline off‑guard and Schade, with his back to goal, turned the ball home expertly to silence Elland Road.

As mentioned, perhaps the ­biggest gripe at that stage was that ­Brentford’s lead wasn’t greater. “I thought we could have done more in the first half,” Andrews said.

“We could have tested Trafford more but we were outstanding. The storm was always going to come and they were forced into ­making changes they haven’t done for quite some time.”

Those changes were pivotal. The back five was abandoned, with Leeds adding Tanaka as an extra man in midfield. It provided an instant impact, with the balance of play shifting the way of the hosts. James Justin forced a clever save from Caoimhín Kelleher before Dan James, on as a substitute, arguably could have done better after being set free on halfway.

In contrast, Brentford were struggling without as much space in the middle, with Igor Thiago cutting a slightly isolated and frustrated ­figure. The Leeds supporters, sensing the momentum was now with them, were beginning to come alive – as were their team. Just like in the first half, a goal was starting to feel more like an inevitability than a possibility.

Farke tweaked things further, with ­Nmecha pro­viding direct support for Calvert‑Lewin, and the duo combined with 11 ­minutes ­remaining. Nmecha dragged a shot across goal to leave Kelleher flat‑footed, with Calvert‑Lewin ­poking into the empty net for his first of the season.

A draw was the least Leeds deserved. Both sides showed their ambition by pushing for a winner, though they cancelled each other out in the final moments to underline further that these are two teams who should think positively about what lies ahead.