07-08-02: Rangers (a) 1-1 (HT 1-0) Crowd (32,937)

Programme:

Alan Smith gave Leeds the lead after seventeen minutes, when he headed home an excellent Ian Harte cross from the left. Unfortunately in the twenty-third minute Jonathan Woodgate had to leave the field with a gash to the knee which needed eight stitches and Lucas Radebe had to come on as his replacement. Alan Smith did find the net again just before half-time, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Bakke had another great opportunity to win the game for Leeds but once more the Rangers' keeper, Stefan Klos, thwarted him as he saved the Norwegian's shot from point blank range after he was found unmarked in the box. Rangers made several changes at half-time with Craig Moore replacing Lorenzo Amouruso in central defence, Russell Latapy for Fernando Ricksen and Stephen Hughes for Mikel Arteta in midfield and Shota Arveladze for Peter Lovenkrands up front. Leeds missed several good chances before Shota Arveladze equalized for the home team from the spot five minutes into the second half. Dominic Matteo was adjudged to have brought down the Georgian international, who appeared to make the most of the challenge by going to ground and the referee Hugh Dallas pointed to the spot for a penalty. He got up and gave Nigel Martyn no chance from the ensuing penalty as he dived the wrong way. Martyn, who was playing his first game of the season not having been on the Far East Tour after representing England in the World Cup, had become United's second substitute at the start of the second half and his introduction was to pick the ball out of the net. Venables made his third and fourth substitutions in the sixty-ninth minute when he brought on Seth Johnson for Olivier Dacourt and Jason Wilcox for Robbie Keane. and with five minutes to go he made his final substitution with Stephen McPhail replacing Harry Kewell. Michael Duberry and Frazer Richardson remained unused on the Leeds bench. Rangers also made two further substitutions with Billy Dodds replacing Claudio Caniggia in the sixty-ninth minute and Michael Mols replacing Tore-Andre Flo with two minutes left, as Rangers used their full complement of substitutes. Eirik Bakke nearly put Leeds back in front with a fierce 25-yard shot that Klos in the Rangers goal did well to turn behind for a corner. Ian Harte was given a few opportunities to test Stefan Klos with his free-kicks, but found the German each time. Leeds were the more cohesive of the two teams in the second half and, apart from retrieving the ball once from the net, Nigel Martyn had remarkably little else to do, but with Mark Viduka again missing due to injury, the Leeds forwards were no able to capitalize on their possession. (Rangers team details courtesy of Steve Bell.)