Leeds United signed off their preseason with a fourth win from six summer friendlies, beating Bundesliga’s FC Augsburg 4-0 at Elland Road to head into next Saturday's trip to Nottingham Forest full of confidence. Daniel Farke named pretty much his strongest available side for the occasion, with James Trafford handed his first outing in front of the home crowd since his big money move from Manchester City, Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach back together in midfield, and Harry Wilson, Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all starting further forward.
The breakthrough came inside two minutes, Trafford's long ball finding its way through Calvert-Lewin and Wilson before Brenden Aaronson picked out Stach, whose effort took a deflection on its way past Finn Dahmen from a tight angle. Calvert-Lewin almost had a second soon after, meeting a James Justin cross with a header from six yards that Dahmen did well to tip over, before Leeds doubled their lead in spectacular fashion on nineteen minutes. An Ethan Ampadu long throw caused havoc in the box, Calvert-Lewin's touch found Tarik Muharemović, and the centre back finished with a close range overhead kick that flew into the roof of the net.
Justin made it three before the half hour, working a neat exchange of passes off Ampadu and Calvert-Lewin before a good touch sent him clear to roll the ball into the bottom corner. Leeds went in at the break well on top and largely controlled a quieter second half, Joe Rodon threatening down the right before his cross was cleared and Aaronson denied by a last ditch block after being played in on 62 minutes.
Farke turned to his bench from the hour mark onwards, with changes gradually shifting Leeds into a back four and a 4-2-3-1 shape, Aaronson moving into the number ten role before he himself was replaced in a rare run out for Joel Piroe. The final goal arrived on 82 minutes when Ao Tanaka, one of the late substitutes, slipped a pass through for Lukas Nmecha to finish with a composed dink over the goalkeeper.
Muharemović, still settling in since his move from Sassuolo, could offer little explanation for his moment of magic beyond instinct. "I just jumped, I just tried," he said afterwards. "First goal at home, a special moment." Farke, meanwhile, was pleased with the result but felt there was more still to come from his side given the demands of a heavy week of travel and training, saying his side had not been at their sharpest but had still done more than enough against good opposition.
With pre-season now behind them, focus turns fully to the Premier League opener at the City Ground on Saturday, where a much sterner test awaits than anything served up over the summer.