Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City: Bamford helps Whites bounce back

Leeds returned to winning ways and closed within seven points of the automatic promotion places with a comfortable win over Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham.

Crysencio Summerville slotted a cool third after the break, while Whites keeper Kristoffer Klaesson kept a clean sheet on his first league start.

Blues have only taken six points from their last nine games and remain in 20th place.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke made five changes, with Klaesson handed his first start in goal after Karl Darlow dislocated a thumb.

The 23-year-old was playing his first Leeds game, at any level, since an under-21s appearance last February, and his only previous league experience was 35 minutes off the bench in the Premier League in March 2022.

Bamford was recalled in place of Joel Piroe, with James, Glen Kamara and Archie Gray also brought in, while Blues boss Rooney made two changes, recalling Lee Buchanan and Oliver Burke.

After a quiet start City keeper John Ruddy denied Summerville following good work from Georginio Rutter, with Mbule Longelo blocking the follow-up from James, but the deadlock was broken on 34 minutes when the latter swung in an inviting cross from the right and Bamford evaded his markers to nod home.

The outcome was all but settled just before the break when substitute Junior Firpo burst to the byline before cutting back to the unmarked James, whose first-time shot deflected into the corner past Ruddy.

Birmingham tried to rally and Klaesson got a strong hand to an awkward curling Siriki Dembele strike and then, following the interval, Dembele threaded in Juninho Bacuna only for him to dink wide under pressure from Klaesson.

Leeds came close to a third just before the hour when Bamford thudded the base of the post from the edge of the box.

James fired into the side-netting from an angle before the third arrived when Rutter’s superb lofted pass freed Firpo on the left and his cutback was coolly slotted into the bottom corner by Summerville, his 12th goal of the season.

There was still time for Firpo’s header from a corner to come back off the post as Leeds made it nine wins in 10 home games.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Leeds:

“When you go into a fourth game in 10 days off the back of back-to-back defeats it’s always difficult, the pressure is on you.

“In the first 20 minutes everything felt a bit heavy, not quick enough. After the first goal we controlled the game, we didn’t allow them to have chances.

“I was a bit concerned because we didn’t bury the game after so many good situations until the third goal. We could and should have scored more. It was a really good performance, perhaps not perfect.

“Klaesson was brilliant for a full debut, by the way, many compliments to him. It was difficult but the lads responded in the best possible way. It was important to have a good win for confidence.”

Wayne Rooney, Birmingham manager, told BBC Radio WM:

“I thought for 30 minutes we were ok and looked a threat, but the first goal changed the game and it was really disappointing from our point of view, leaving a player like Bamford free in the middle of the six yard box.

“From there we really didn’t look like getting back in the game. We know Leeds are a good team and would create chances, we had some good moments but it was frustrating and disappointing we weren’t clinical enough. We had some very good chances. We didn’t take them.

“We are in a difficult moment, there’s no denying that, we have to pull together to get through it. I hope we can bolster the squad in January.

“We’ll try everything we can to get players in to give ourselves a chance of winning games.”