Leeds United 3-1 Stoke City: Marcelo Bielsa wins first game in charge
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Leeds won their opening Championship match for the second successive season, after beating Bolton 3-2 last term
Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross conceded that the Potters were "miles off" as the Championship pre-season promotion favourites were well beaten at Leeds.
City, relegated from the Premier League last season, were second best as goals from Mateusz Klich, Pablo Hernandez and Liam Cooper were enough to give new Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa the perfect start.
"It's a massive wake-up call after a tough, hard pre-season," defender Shawcross told BBC Radio Stoke. "We thought we were ready but we couldn't compete with their intensity or hard work.
"Leeds were the better team. It's disappointing, but it's only one game and there are lots of games ahead so although there will be a lot of negativity about this game, we are a positive camp.
"The manager (Gary Rowett) has pulled no punches and told us what he thought. We knew it was going to be a difficult season but that was the wake-up call some of us might have needed."
Leeds, starting the season with a new boss for the eighth successive year, deservedly led when Klich, starting his first league game since last September, seized on Samuel Saiz's defence-splitting pass and stroked the ball past Jack Butland.
Hernandez doubled the lead just before the break when his 18-yard shot squirmed under the England goalkeeper.
Benik Afobe, one of four Stoke debutants following his move from Wolves, reduced the arrears from the penalty spot straight after the interval when Barry Douglas was judged to have fouled Tom Ince.
But the Scottish full-back, who topped the Championship's charts for assists in helping Wolves to the title last season, made amends when his corner was headed in by Cooper to cap an impressive Leeds display.
Leeds' pressing puts Stoke on back foot
Former Argentina boss Bielsa showed no emotion in the dugout as his new side dominated the first half and Stoke struggled to come to terms with Leeds' pressing and incisive passing.
The Potters' only effort on goal in that opening 45 minutes came when Ince hit the bar with a speculative shot from 30 yards.
In contrast, Leeds could have scored more than their two before the break as Butland produced fine saves to deny Kemar Roofe and Ezgjan Alioski, only for his error on the stroke of half-time to give the home side breathing space.
Afobe's penalty gave Stoke, also under new management following Rowett's move from Derby, some hope - only for Cooper to soon extinguish it.
And although Stoke saw Leeds keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell save James McClean's free-kick and Bruno Martins Indi head on to the roof of the net, they never threatened a comeback.
Leeds' effort pleases Bielsa - post-match reaction
Stoke boss Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Stoke:
"It was something we warned the players about. A step down in divisions sometimes means you have to settle very quickly.
"It's a different type of football. Leeds looked like they had more intensity and aggression about them, and for vast parts of the game our basic defending as a team was very poor. It was too easy for Leeds to create opportunities.
"It certainly hasn't come as a culture shock to me. What you hope is that some of the players that have Premier League quality impart that onto the game. I don't think enough players did.
"There were some bright performances - Tom Ince looked very good, James McClean worked incredibly hard, I was pleased for Benik to get his first goal. After that, I think quite a few of the players were just a little bit surprised by how intense the game was."
Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It's too soon to make any analysis either positive or negative [on whether Leeds can challenge this season].
"It was a game with high intensity, our players were very ambitious and they put in a great physical effort. The physical effort pleased me, the productivity was very high.
"We had the hope and the ambition to win. We have a dynamic team, an offensive team. We took risks when we were moving the ball."