Derby County 1-3 Leeds United: Second-half turnaround sees Premier League side avoid FA Cup upset

  /  autty

Two goals in four second-half minutes helped a much-changed Leeds United come from behind to beat Derby County 3-1 at Pride Park to book their place in the FA Cup fourth round.

An upset had appeared on the cards at half-time after Ben Brereton Diaz fired the Championship side into a 35th-minute lead, moments after Jacob Widell Zetterstrom had denied Joel Piroe from the penalty spot.

But the visitors, who made eight changes from their 4-3 loss at Newcastle United in midweek, came out on the front foot after the interval, deservedly turning the tie on its head 10 minutes into the second period.

First Wilfried Gnonto lashed an unstoppable drive through Derby's previously unbeatable Sweden goalkeeper at his near post after Piroe's clever dummy had opened up the home side's defence.

And then a lovely flowing passing move from Daniel Farke's in-form team involving the likes of Lukas Nmecha, Noah Okafor and the impressive Piroe ended with Zetterstrom only parrying the latter's effort from the edge of the area, with the alert Ao Tanaka tucking home the rebound from close range.

That quickfire double strike knocked the stuffing out of Derby, positioned 17 places below Leeds in the football pyramid, and the visitors sealed a deserved win in stoppage time when substitute James Justin finished off a counterattack as his team took their place in the hat for Monday evening's fourth-round draw.

Related: Leeds United Derby County
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