Birmingham 1-1 (4-5 pens) Leeds: Nmecha strike cancelled by Roberts as Perri heroics send Whites into FA Cup last 16
Leeds United survived a fierce test at St Andrew's, advancing to the FA Cup fifth round on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Championship side Birmingham City. Lukas Nmecha's second-half strike was cancelled out by Patrick Roberts' stunning 89th-minute equaliser, and Lucas Perri produced the decisive intervention in the shootout to send Daniel Farke's side through.
Match summary: late drama and extra-time tension
Both managers rotated heavily, making six changes each, but the gulf in divisions was hard to spot early on. Birmingham dominated the opening exchanges, pinning Leeds back with aggressive pressing and posing the greater threat in the final third. Jay Stansfield rattled a rasping half-volley off the bar after a superb fingertip save from Perri kept the scores level, and the hosts fashioned several other promising openings.
Leeds began to grow into the game and fashioned a presentable chance from distance through Sean Longstaff, but it was the Whites who opened the scoring shortly after the break. Noah Okafor's incisive run and pass released Lukas Nmecha, who finished clinically at the near post to register his seventh goal of the season. The strike may have come from a marginal offside position, but with no video assistant referee in operation until the next round, the goal stood.
Birmingham refused to wilt. The Blues pressed for an equaliser and forced several sustained spells of pressure, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri again called upon to pull off top saves. As the clock ticked into the final moments, Patrick Roberts produced a moment of individual brilliance, firing a spectacular strike in the 89th minute to level and send the tie into extra time.
Extra time offered chances for both sides, including a late stoppage opportunity for Ibrahim Osman that struck the post for the hosts, but neither team could find a winner and the tie went to penalties.
Penalty shootout and pivotal moments
The shootout proved a microcosm of the match: tense and decided by fine margins. Birmingham's Tommy Doyle saw his penalty denied by Perri, and despite a stunning late equaliser, Patrick Roberts then blazed his spot-kick over the bar, compounding the Blues' frustration. Sean Longstaff stepped up to score Leeds' fourth and ultimately decisive penalty, completing a 5-4 shootout win and sending the Whites into the last 16.
Leeds' goalkeeper was the match-winner. Perri's series of key saves — including the tip onto the bar from Stansfield during normal time and the crucial stop in the shootout — proved decisive in a tie that could easily have swung the other way.
Wider implications: optimism for Birmingham, a reprieve for Leeds
The result will sting for Birmingham, who had every reason to feel aggrieved after a performance that belied their second-tier status. It was only their third home defeat of the campaign and came in front of a passionate St Andrew's crowd that applauded owner Tom Wagner as he continues his recovery from a stroke. The Blues remain close to the Championship play-off positions and will aim to channel this display into their league push and the longer-term objective of returning to the top flight.
For Leeds, the win provides a welcome cup lifeline and a morale boost amid a busy schedule. The manager's rotation paid off in the end, and progress into the fifth round offers another opportunity to build momentum. With a knack for resilience this season, the Whites will take heart from surviving a stern examination and will now prepare for Monday evening's fifth-round draw (ET).
In a tie that swung between moments of individual brilliance and goalkeeping heroics, penalties proved the final arbiter. Birmingham showed they can compete with higher-tier opposition; Leeds showed they can hang on when tested. Both sides leave St Andrew's with takeaways to shape the rest of their campaigns.
