It was a frustrating start to 2025 for Leeds United as they were held to 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers. The Whites appeared on course to record a 10th successive home victory when Pascal Struijk calmly despatched an 88th minute penalty.

But experienced centre-back Danny Batth scrambled a last-gasp equaliser for play-off hopefuls Rovers. The result extended United's unbeaten Championship run to seven matches.

Daniel Farke's troops remain in a strong position in the promotion race. With second-placed Burnley drawing at home to Stoke City and Sheffield United falling to a 2-1 loss against Sunderland on New Year's Day, the Whites remain three points clear at the top of the table.

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Here is what the national media made of the Rovers clash.

Nancy Froston - The Athletic

Few managers have the success John Eustace has had against Leeds — he boasts an impressive three wins and one draw from his past four games against them as manager of Rovers and former club Birmingham City. Though Eustace’s three wins came by a 1-0 scoreline, in each game he has given his team a tight defensive structure to make them hard to break down.

It made for a frustrating afternoon for Leeds, who are used to teams setting up in a mid-block at Elland Road, although they are often able to wear it down. Blackburn’s 30 per cent possession reflects their application and work off the ball to limit United to four shots on target. There were few quality chances for either side in difficult conditions before Dominic Hyam clipped Mateo Joseph in the box in the 87th minute to concede a penalty.

Rovers’ ability to limit Leeds forced Farke to change Leeds’ formation from 4-5-1 to 3-5-2 as he threw Joseph and Patrick Bamford on to play up front, with Wober and Dan James converting to wing-backs. The move paid off, with Farke explaining that the threat of Wober’s left-footed deliveries was key to him sacrificing Manor Solomon for the change of formation — the Austrian’s cross put Joseph in on goal when he was fouled.

Blackburn’s quick response to going behind when Struijk coolly dispatched the spot kick meant they equalised within two minutes when Batth stuck the ball away in a crowded penalty area from a corner. Eustace’s side balanced robust defending with an ability to disrupt Leeds’ play in a feisty outing — extending their good form against United while retaining their top-six place.

James Shield - The Times

Daniel Farke insisted that Leeds United were not immune from fatigue after their draw with Blackburn Rovers, despite hearing rival managers label his squad as the best in the division.

Pascal Struijk’s late penalty, awarded after Dominic Hyam’s tackle on Mateo Joseph, appeared to have sealed maximum points for the leaders despite an uncharacteristically subdued display.

But John Eustace’s players, who felt the substitute had gone down too easily after being clipped, used that sense of grievance to drag themselves back into the contest with Danny Batth snatching a deserved equaliser which silenced Elland Road.

“It was not our best game and I thought the boys looked a little bit tired,” Farke, whose words will raise eyebrows across the Championship, said. “We moved the ball too slowly but showed an excellent mentality.”

Rovers do not possess the same strength in depth as Leeds. Few, if any, teams in the division do. But while Farke made four changes to his starting XI, having acknowledged that “rotation” forms part of his Elland Road masterplan, Eustace unveiled three, with Todd Cantwell, whose penalty settled November’s meeting between the two clubs, ruled out by illness.

Blackburn’s tenacity, underlined by their determination during the closing stages of the contest, helped to bridge the disparity in the clubs’ respective resources and preserved Eustace’s unbeaten record as a head coach against Leeds.

Sky Sports

Danny Batth's last-minute equaliser clinched Blackburn a 1-1 draw at Elland Road and denied Leeds a 10th straight home win.

Pascal Struijk's late penalty appeared to have snatched Leeds all three points in their bid to extend their lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship, but Batth struck for Rovers in the 90th minute.

Leeds poured forward in pursuit of a winner during 10 minutes of time added on, but John Eustace's play-off-chasing visitors held firm for a deserved point.

Daniel Farke's side have been dominant at Elland Road this season and had taken maximum points from their previous three festive fixtures, but they failed to spark against Rovers.

The home side stepped it up shortly before the interval, but a well-drilled Blackburn, whose 1-0 win at Elland Road last season helped put the skids on Leeds' automatic promotion push, held firm.