Leeds United 2-0 Millwall: FLW report as Daniel Farke's side react to Sheffield United, Burnley dropped points | OneFootball

Report, ratings, Daniel Farke & Alex Neil reaction and more from Elland Road as Leeds United host Millwall.

Daniel Farke guided Leeds United back to the top of the Championship table thanks to a 2-0 win over Millwall at Elland Road.

Leeds watched Sheffield United and Burnley both drop points on Tuesday evening, after their own slip-up against Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon.

They took an early lead tonight, though, through a Jake Cooper own goal and took the game beyond Millwall through Ao Tanaka on 85 minutes.

Leeds United 2-0 Millwall

Cooper own goal and Tanaka get Whites back to winning ways

Despite a rather positive Millwall opening couple of minutes, Leeds struck early after Joe Rothwell's dogged work in midfield.

Rothwell's drive took him into the final third and, after exchanging a pass with Joel Piroe, he sent Manor Solomon into the penalty area. His cross from the left was diverted beyond Lukas Jensen via a Jake Cooper deflection.

Daniel Farke watched on as Brenden Aaronson, Ao Tanaka and Piroe had efforts at doubling that lead, before the latter converted just after the half-hour, only to be denied by a tight offside call against Aaronson.

Leeds would be right to feel aggrieved by that call, and were nearly made to pay heading into the break, with Cooper failing to make the most of a superb opportunity from a George Saville corner.

Solomon clipped Jensen's crossbar with a rising drive at the start of the second half and Millwall threw committed bodies in front of a Rothwell shot.

Aaronson zipped a volley over and Solomon buried a shot into the side-netting of Jensen's goal.

Tristan Crama's mis-hit cross forced Illan Meslier into a decent piece of goalkeeping - reminding Elland Road that there was still a threat of a Millwall equaliser despite a dominant second half.

Tanaka, then, made sure of the points for Leeds, meeting Junior Firpo's lay-off perfectly to finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Leeds United v Millwall attendance

34,401 (391 away)

Player Ratings

Leeds United

Illan Meslier - 6

Jayden Bogle - 6 (Sam Byram - n/a)

Joe Rodon - 7

Pascal Struijk - 7

Junior Firpo - 7

Ao Tanaka - 7

Joe Rothwell - 8 (Ilia Gruev - n/a)

Dan James - 7 (Largie Ramazani - n/a)

Brenden Aaronson - 6

Manor Solomon - 7 (Willy Gnonto - n/a)

Joel Piroe - 7 (Mateo Joseph - n/a)

Subs (not used)

Karl Darlow

Josuha Guilavogui

James Debayo

Sam Chambers

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Millwall

Lukas Jensen - 6

Wes Harding - 5 (Tristan Crama - 6)

Japhet Tanganga - 6

Jake Cooper - 6

Joe Bryan - 5

Casper De Norre - 6 (Aidomo Emakhu - 5)

George Saville - 6

George Honeyman - 5 (Billy Mitchell - 5)

Luke Cundle - 6

Femi Azeez - 6 (Aaron Connolly - n/a)

Mihailo Ivanovic - 5 (Josh Coburn - n/a)

Subs (not used)

George Evans

Ryan Wintle

Raees Bangura-Williams

Zak Sturge

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Championship table

Leeds back ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley

Millwall eight adrift of top six

Daniel Farke reaction

Delight at Leeds reaction to Portsmouth defeat

Farke on key second goal: "I was happy that Ao Tanaka scored for the first time in a while. When the game is 1-0 and you have Jake Cooper on the other side, with a set-piece (threat), anything can happen.

"2-0 buried the game and it was a big relief. Excellent win for us in a busy period. It was an excellent performance."

Reacting to Portsmouth loss: "We haven't lost many games, but it is important for us that when there is a setback to respond. That's what we've done so far this season and I love it.

"In the first half we had to shake off the disappointment from the Portsmouth game, but the second half was excellent. We were all over them and dominated the game."

On Joe Rothwell: "You know how much I appreciate Joe Rothwell. I've spoken about it several times.

"If you love football, you'll love Joe Rothwell. He's a pure baller.

"There are a few challenges in his game that we won't speak about tonight because he was really excellent."

Alex Neil reaction

Millwall frustration with "unfortunate" own goal

On frustrations with Leeds opener: "The manner of the first goal is really frustrating from our point of view. We've been unfortunate with own goals since I got here and that was right up there.

"The lad gets to the by-line after we give the ball away cheaply in the middle of the pitch. Coops gets across with a good block and Lukas is going to take it in his arms, but it hits him (Cooper) and ends up in the back of the net. At that stage, highly unfortunate."

Millwall's first-half performance: "With what Leeds are playing for and how they are going at the top end of the table, we need to rally and make sure heads don't go down. I thought in the first half we did that, moved the ball well. We didn't create enough clear-cut opportunities like we'd have wanted - the best one Femi (Azeez) got a cross in that we needed to try to attack better, and the best chance was Coops' header from the set-piece. If we got that, it's an interesting second half."