Leeds powered into the Championship playoff final as a three-goal first half blitz inspired their 4-0 rout of Norwich in Thursday’s semi-final second leg.
Daniel Farke’s side destroyed the outclassed Canaries with goals from Ilia Gruev, Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville at a raucous Elland Road.
Leeds will face Southampton or West Bromwich Albion in the final at Wembley on May 26.
Southampton host West Brom in the second leg of their semi-final on Friday, with the score level at 0-0 after the first game.
The Championship playoff final is widely known as the most valuable game in sport, given the winning team can earn an estimated £265m ($503m) in additional revenue from TV deals, sponsorship and other incomes. Even if that team gets relegated back to the Championship, ‘parachute payments’ worth tens of millions of dollars can still have a momentous impact on the financial standing of a club for years to come.
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After a cautious goalless draw in Sunday’s first leg at Carrow Road, third-placed Leeds showed why they finished 17 points above sixth-placed Norwich in the regular season.
The gulf between the teams was vast from the first minute as Leeds moved a step closer to an immediate return to the Premier League after last season’s relegation.
“It was a great night for us. We were brilliant,” Farke said. “The average age of the side was very young so it was important I calmed them down.
“It was one of our most complex performances of the season against a really good side.
“Now we are focused on the next task. We know it will be a tricky game.”
Norwich boss David Wagner added: “It’s very quiet in the dressing room at the moment.
“I think, more or less, everything you should not do, we have done. It’s a very disappointing end to the season.”
Farke has a third promotion to the top-flight in his sights after leading Norwich out of the Championship in 2019 and 2021.
Leeds have never won promotion via the play-offs and lost to Derby in the 2018-19 Championship semi-finals.
On the evidence of this dynamic display, their sixth appearance in the end-of-season tournament could finally curtail that barren run.
Leeds had blown their chance of automatic promotion after stumbling in the final weeks as Ipswich pipped them to second place.
But just weeks after movie star Will Ferrell bought a minority stake in the club, Farke’s men are back on course to write a Hollywood ending to their season.
– Rampant Leeds –
In front of a capacity crowd of 37,800, Leeds fed off their vociferous support in a blistering start.
Norwich were unable to stem the tide and Leeds went in front after just seven minutes.
Gruev’s clever free-kick caught Norwich ‘keeper Angus Gunn completely out of position, skidding around the visitors’ poorly-constructed wall and into the wide open net from 25 yards.
The Bulgarian midfielder could not have picked a better time for his first goal of the season.
Leeds were rampant and Piroe doubled their advantage in the 20th minute with a close-range header after Gunn misjudged the flight of Wilfried Gnonto’s pinpoint cross.
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Josh Sargent wasted a golden opportunity to give Norwich a lifeline when the American striker ran clean through on goal, only to try a chipped effort that Illan Meslier clawed away.
Five minutes before halftime, Rutter delivered the knockout blow, firing into the roof of the net from close-range after Summerville found the forward when Norwich made a hash of clearing Piroe’s cross.
There was no let-up from Leeds in the second half and Gunn had to save from Piroe and Summerville in quick succession.
The overworked Gunn was beaten for the fourth time in the 68th minute. Gnonto’s shot was parried by Gunn and Junior Firpo cut it back to Summerville, who had the simple task of slotting home as the Leeds faithful started to plan for their trip to Wembley.