Category: Football, Sports

Illan Meslier’s Mistake Costs Leeds Victory in Dramatic Draw

Illan Meslier's Mistake Costs Leeds United Victory Against Sunderland

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke revealed that goalkeeper Illan Meslier was “in tears” after a costly mistake led to a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sunderland. The error occurred in the 97th minute of Friday’s match, with the minimum six minutes of added time already surpassed. Meslier allowed Alan Browne’s hopeful ball into the box to slip past him, gifting Sunderland a last-minute equalizer.

This result prevented Leeds from leveling on points with leaders Sunderland at the top of the Championship, keeping them in third place, three points behind. Speaking after the match, Farke said, “After such a situation, you don’t need to talk to Illan; he is the saddest person in the dressing room, he’s more or less in tears.”

A Dodgy Bounce?

Farke admitted that he had never experienced anything like this in his 30 years in football—a defining mistake coming with effectively the last touch of the match. He suggested that captain Pascal Struijk noticed an unkind bounce in front of the goalkeeper, leading to Meslier’s unfortunate error.

Struijk shared his perspective, stating that the ball bounced and changed direction, possibly due to a mark or divot on the pitch. “I can’t tell you if that was the case because I wasn’t on the pitch, but Pascal was probably in the best position to see. If it was this, it was unbelievably unlucky,” Farke added.

The Leeds boss described the incident as “heartbreaking” and “horrendous” for his injury-hit side, who had put in an impressive display at the Stadium of Light. The loss of two crucial points was a tough blow, especially under such unlucky circumstances.

Support from a Familiar Face

Illan Meslier, who began his football journey at the Lorient academy in France, had a familiar face on the opposing side. Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris, who was Meslier’s former coach at Lorient, spoke with him after the game, expressing sympathy for his former player.

“I’m disappointed for him because I like this boy and anyone can make a mistake,” said Le Bris. “For a goalkeeper, when you make a mistake, the consequences are very important. It happened today, and we are happy for the final result.”

Goalkeeper errors often carry significant consequences, and Friday’s match was no exception. Despite Leeds United’s solid performance, a single mistake resulted in a lost opportunity to reach the top of the Championship standings. Meslier’s reaction shows the emotional toll such moments can have on players, but he will need to regroup as Leeds continue their pursuit of promotion.