Leeds United were soundly beaten in their opening game of the new season at Loftus Road by a rampant Queens Park Rangers outfit.

Leeds United got their 2016-17 Championship season off to the worst possible start, going down 3-0 to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's impressive QPR side. Goals from Sol Bamba (OG), Tjaronn Chery (Pen), and Sebastian Polter sealed an opening day win for the R's whilst consigning United to the bottom of the Championship table for the time being.

Lineups

Leeds United

Starting 11: Green, Berardi, Bamba, Bartley, Taylor, Diagouraga, Vieira, Grimes, Dallas, Roofe, Wood.

Subs: Turnbull, Coyle, Cooper, Phillips, Mowatt, Sacko, Antonsson.

New signing Pablo Hernandez missed out due to international clearance still pending, but there was a first competitive start for 18-year-old Ronaldo Vieira in midfield. Other notable absentees included Marco Silvestri and Luke Murphy.

Queens Park Rangers

Starting 11: Smithies, Onuoha, Hall, Caulker, Bidwell, Henry, Luongo, Gladwin, Chery, Shodipo, Polter.

Subs: Lynch, Cousins, Washington, Ingram, El Khayati, Perch, Kpekawa.

Striker Jamie Mackie and defender Jack Robinson missed out through injury, but there were debuts for winger Olamide Shodipo and full-back Jake Bidwell, the latter joining from local rivals Brentford earlier in the summer.

First-Half

The visitors got the game underway through Chris Wood, but the first attack of the match would come from the home side in only the fourth minute of the game. Tjaronn Chery found his way into the box before firing in a low shot that was turned behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Rangers took the lead after a comedic goalmouth scramble. The corner was whipped into the area, Leeds failed to clear their lines, the ball looped up into the sky before Rob Green's failure to claim the loose ball allowed the home side to get their noses in front. The goal was initially given to Nedum Onuoha, but replays have since shown that Sol Bamba got the definitive touch.

Leeds tried to responded six minutes later with an attack of their own, Gaetano Berardi crossed a decent looking ball into the box from the right channel, but Kemar Roofe was beaten to the ball by a QPR defender before he could make anything of the cross.

The home side were most certainly on top, and after his involvement in the goalmouth game of pinball that led to his side's opener, Onuoha was involved in an attack once again on 20 minutes. Rob Green, who was taking an awful lot of flak from both sets of supporters, could only punch away a looping cross as far as Onuoha, but the former Mancehster City man volleyed the ball over the bar from 14 yards out.

Two minutes later and there was cause for confusion as Gaetano Berardi was substituted, with the Swiss defender being replaced by Lewie Coyle. The reasons behind the change are still unknown, although some observers have suggested that Berardi was lacking in match fitness and that was what prompted Garry Monk to make such a big call.

Leeds were presented with a rare oppourtunity to get the ball into Rangers' penalty area on 26 minutes, after a heavy foul by Ben Gladwin on Charlie Taylor. Gladwin received a yellow card for his troubles, but Stuart Dallas was wasteful with the chance, over-hitting the resulting free-kick.

Just four minutes later, and the home side came agonizingly close to doubling their money when Tjaronn Chery's shot saw the ball rebound off a Leeds' defender's leg before hitting him and then crashing against the post. The home side were still firmly in the ascendancy, with United struggling to make inroads into the QPR half.

Hasselbaink's side were intent on pursuing a second goal, and they hit the woodwork again just three minutes later. Sol Bamba was left for dead by Polter, who left-footed, fired in a low shot that cannoned off the right-post. 1-0 it remained with 37 minutes played.

Leeds would have their best opportunity of the first-half just a minute before half-time. Rangers debutant Bidwell failed to deal with a Charlie Taylor cross from the left, and the ball fell to Stuart Dallas who unfortunately could only lash a wild volley over the bar.

That was the final action of note in the first-half, and the sides went in at the break with the home side deservedly in the lead.

Half Time - Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Leeds United

Queens Park Rangers were completely in command of the game, overrunning Leeds in midfield and getting plenty of threatening balls into the box. Chris Wood was isolated up front for the Whites, more often than not relinquishing possession whenever the ball came his way as a result. United's lack of an out ball allowed QPR to regain and recycle possession with ease, and the Whites were fortunate to not be further behind after a dismal first period.

Second-Half

There were no changes during the break, and QPR got the second period underway.

The first chance of the half would fall United's way on 47 minutes. Matt Grimes hit a left-footed free-kick that dipped just over Alex Smithies crossbar.

There was much cause for controversy on 53 minutes when QPR's Gladwin, (who was already on a yellow card), committed a late foul on Ronaldo Vieira. The referee bizzarely decided against showing the former Swindon man a second yellow card, much to the anger of the 3000 or so Leeds fans who had made the long trip from West Yorkshire.

Leeds were beginning to steadily improve, but they were still unable to create a clear-cut opportunity. Unsurprisingly, Gladwin was substituted for Jordan Cousins on 56 minutes after escaping a sending off.

On the 63rd minute Leeds United head coach Garry Monk decided to take a more attacking approach, throwing on Marcus Antonsson for Matt Grimes in order for United to play with two strikers.

After a succession of Leeds corners were cleared with ease, the home side opted to make their second change of the match with Nasser El-Khayati replacing Olamide Shodipo.

El-Khayati, formerly of Burton Albion, almost had an immediate impact just moments after coming on. He fired in a low shot from close-range but he was denied by a terrific save from the much-maligned Rob Green.

Green had kept United in the game with that save, but his work on that occasion ended up counting for zilch, as Queens Park Rangers were awarded a penalty just seconds later. Jordan Cousins was tripped in the area by Ronaldo Vieira, leaving the referee with no choice other than to award a spot-kick. Up stepped Tjaronn Chery, who slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner with confidence. 2-0 on 73 minutes, and surely game, set, and match to the hosts.

Leeds made a change just two minutes after the second goal, with Hadi Sacko replacing Kemar Roofe.

Leeds would have their best chance of the game on 82 minutes when Marcus Antonsson was put clean through on goal. The Swede spurned the opportunity though, dragging his shot wide of the mark to the sheer disappointment from the Leeds fans behind the goal.

One small consolation for United was that Hadi Sacko was looking lively, and the Frenchman actually managed to put the ball in the net on 87 minutes with a great finish. Unfortunately, the Sporting Lisbon loanee had handballed in the build-up, and so the goal was correctly chalked off by the officials.

With a few minutes of normal time to go, the home side made an appearance money change with the undisputed man of the match Chery going off in place of James Perch. Soon afterwards, four minutes of added time were announced.

There was still time though for Rangers to heap even more misery on the visitors, as Sebastian Polter brushed off Lewie Coyle with ease before smashing the ball across the hapless Green and into the top-right corner from the left of the penalty area. 3-0, and an opening day debacle from the Whites.

Full Time - Queens Park Rangers 3-0 Leeds United

A perfect start to the season for the home side, but the worst start possible for Garry Monk and Leeds, who were completely outplayed on the day by a rampant QPR outfit. United were overrun in midfield and most of all they could not keep Chery quiet, and the Dutchman went on to play a starring role as the Whites crashed to defeat.

The result sees United fall to the bottom of the Championship table, and Leeds will now be looking to move swiftly onto Wednesday's League Cup tie away at Fleetwood Town.

Match Statistics (QPR/Leeds)

Possession - 43/57
Shots - 15/8
On Target - 8/0
Corners - 5/5
Fouls - 8/13

Post-Match Reaction: Garry Monk

United's head coach expressed his disappointment at the result, whilst also defending debutant Rob Green, who came under fire from portions of United's away support for his performance. He also voiced his discontent at the Qatari FA, who failed to process Pablo Hernandez's international clearance in time for him to feature today.

The head coach will now be faced with the difficult task of lifting his side's confidence after such a disappointing result, but there is not much time to dwell on today's disappointment, as the trip to Fleetwood will roll around soon enough.

Writer's View of The Game

A far from ideal start to the season. Our defending was abysmal, and all three goals came about due to poor defensive play on our behalf. The officaiting was at some times, questionable, but that cannot be entirely blamed for the result. Queens Park Rangers were the better side by a country mile, and we fully deserved this result. I, unlike many others, feel that the opener was not entirely the fault of Rob Green. Had the defence done their job and cleared the ball to safety when they had the opportunity to do so, Green would never have been put in such a trying position. Young Ronaldo Vieira was at fault for the second goal, but he's inexperienced and it was his first ever competitive start, so those factors must be taken into account before passing judgement on him.

Today's result is a major disappointment, but as one swallow does not make a summer, one game does not make a season. Focus must now shift to Wednesday's game against our former head coach Uwe Rosler, and we need to try and secure a win at the Highbury Stadium to lift the morale in the camp ahead of a tough home game against Birmingham next Saturday. What I will say is that today's result highlights the need for additional defensive cover, along with the return of Liam Bridcutt to Elland Road. Diagouraga is not capable of performing the role of a ball-winning midfielder, and it is an issue that must be addressed sooner rather than later, because we were completely overrun in midfield today.

Photo: Action Images

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