The defender impressed once again and might just be making himself an undroppable presence for Leeds.
So, finally, a win for Leeds United.
The Yorkshire club’s torrid run of form since assistant boss Steve Thompson was suspended is over, with Neil Redfearn having guided his side to a 2-1 conquest of Sheffield Wednesday.
The result leaves Leeds unbeaten against the Owls this season heading into another Yorkshire derby against Rotherham United.
Who, though, impressed most for Redfearn’s men at Hillsborough?
Sam Byram was effective going forward once again, while Liam Cooper achieved plenty at the back, with Stuart Taylor also due special mention due to his rare first-team opportunities.
There’s a case, however, for Gaetano Berardi being argued as Leeds’ star v Wednesday…
| Tackles | Interceptions | Clearances | Headers | Duels Won | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaetano Berardi | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 90 |
| Charlie Taylor | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 90 |
| Rodolph Austin | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 90 |
| Sam Byram | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 90 |
| Liam Cooper | 1 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 90 |
| Scott Wootton | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 90 |
Indeed, as Opta stats show, Berardi won six tackles against Sheffield Wednesday, an impressive tally for any game.
He also won three interceptions and contributed well in terms of clearances and headers, going on to win an impressive nine duels – only bettered by Byram and Rudy Austin.
The Italian certainly gave Leeds some defensive stability on Saturday and has done since Redfearn brought him into the team a few weeks ago. Providing there are no more red cards on the last day of the campaign (!), Berardi has most definitely ended his season on a high.
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