Staff Reporter.
Norwich City and Leeds United played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their Championship playoffs semifinal tie on Sunday.
Neither side fashioned many scoring chances at Carrow Road and the place in the May 26 final at Wembley will be decided in the second leg at Elland Road on Thursday.
Both teams limped into the play-offs, with Norwich winning just two of their final seven league games to scrape into sixth while Leeds managed just two wins in eight to blow their chances of going up automatically.
That poor form was reflected in a cautious approach by both sides with the Canaries’ Gabriel Sara and Leeds’ Sam Byram fluffing the two best chances in a game of few scoring opportunities.
Leeds’ poor form forced manager Daniel Farke into an unexpected change with Archie Gray replacing striker Joel Piroe, meaning a forward role for Georginio Rutter, while Jonathan Rowe boosted Norwich with his first start since January following injury problems.
With a glut of attacking talent on display, neither side seriously tested the opposition goalkeeper, with a safety-first approach evident.
In a nervous opening, Dimitris Giannoulis almost blindsided Sam Byram as the Leeds defender tried to head back to keeper Iliam Meslier, and at the other end Rutter air-kicked a good chance.
Josh Sargent headed a fine Jack Stacey cross wide under pressure from Joe Rodon, and at the other end Junior Firpo had the ball in the net only for Rutter to have been spotted in an offside position earlier in the move.
Crysencio Summerville was unusually quiet for Leeds but he had a snap-shot turned round the post by Angus Gunn after latching onto Shane Duffy’s poor headed clearance.
Both sides lost major attacking threats as Rowe was taken off after an hour, Sargent was replaced after picking up an apparent muscle injury and the ineffective Summerville was also substituted.
Sara fired wide after the Canaries fashioned a rare clear-cut chance, and full-back Byram took a wild swipe which totally missed the ball when he was also presented with a good shooting chance.