Match Action:
Olivier Dacourt congratulates Eirik Bakke after he had scored the fifth goal
Olivier Dacourt is held back by a Rotterdam player
Rio Ferdinand wins an aerial battle
Harry Kewell takes on a Sparta defender
Harry Kewell hold off a Sparta defender
Harry Kewell takes on two Sparta defenders
Alan Smith and Olivier Dacourt remonstrate with Steve Goosen after he had fouled Robbie Keane
Mark Viduka takes on a Sparta defender
Mark Viduka on the attack
Programme:
Teamsheet:(Courtesy Mark Ledgard)
Robbie Keane gave Leeds the lead after just forty-five seconds, when his quick reactions made him the first man to an Ian Harte cross. After fifteen minutes it was Keane that set up Mark Viduka for the big Australian to make it two with a power drive. Viduka returned the compliment in the twenty-ninth minute when he set up the Irishman who scored with a cool finish. Three minutes later Anders Nielson reduced the arrears with a thirty yard free-kick into the top corner, but it remained 3-1 until the break with Leeds good value for their lead. Ian Harte put Leeds further ahead with another of his trademark free-kicks five minutes into the second half. It was approaching the hour mark as Eirik Bakke made it 5-1, when Olivier Dacourt floated the ball across the face of the goal for him to rise unchallenged and head the ball past Kooiman in the Sparta goal. Alan Smith, who had come on as a replacement for Mark Viduka finished the United scoring, when he connected with a David Batty cross from close range with ten minutes left on the clock. Gary Kelly had come on as a substitute for Danny Mills, Jonathan Woodgate had replaced Dominic Matteo, Eirik Bakke picked up a hamstring strain and gave way to Lee Bowyer, while Robbie Keane lost two teeth in an incident with Steve Goosen and had to be replaced by Jason Wilcox and Stephen McPhail was a late substitute for David Batty. Danny Milosevic, Michael Duberry, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff and Jacob Burns remained unused on the Leeds bench. Sparta had named Substitutes as Victor Kros (Goalkeeper), Dave van der Meer, Bram Marbus, Jason Trommel, Rui Almeido Monteiro, Houssin Bezzai, Michel Langerak, Silvan Inia and Sieme Zijm. The Referee was Jan Wegereef.
