Leeds United Overcomes Birmingham on Penalties in FA Cup
\[Sun, 15 Feb 2026 19:46:20 +0300\]
Birmingham – Saba:Leeds United won 4-2 on penalties against hosts Birmingham City, a Championship side, to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, after the match ended 1-1 in regular and extra time at St. Andrew's Stadium.Lucas Nmecha opened the scoring four minutes into the second half before Patrick Roberts equalized in the 89th minute, forcing the match into two extra-time periods before going to a penalty shootout.Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perry saved Tommy Doyle's penalty when the score was 2-2, while Roberts shot over the crossbar before Sean Longstaff scored the decisive spot-kick to lead the Premier League side through.Longstaff told TNT Sports: "Lucas was decisive today. That was clear during the penalties, but also generally during the first half of the match."We ground out the win. Things aren't always smooth in the FA Cup, but we're happy to qualify. Whenever you're drawn away from home against a lower-league team, many expect you to show up and win easily, but that's never the case."He added: "I thought they were excellent today. In the end, the game is decided by details, and we were the better side in the big moments today."Leeds created only a few chances in the first half, while Birmingham's Jay Stansfield nearly scored in the 11th minute with a brilliant shot that deflected towards goal, but Perry saved it before it hit the crossbar.However, Leeds took the lead in the 49th minute when Nmecha went clear on goal, after the German player dribbled past a defender and shot from distance into the net past goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.Birmingham continued to press for an equalizer and succeeded in the 89th minute when Roberts shot from outside the area, sparking wild celebrations at St. Andrew's.Both teams came close to winning in stoppage time before Leeds won on penalties.Leeds goalkeeper Perry said: "We had a video (to prepare for the penalties), but unfortunately, in the first two kicks, there were no numbers on their shirts, so it was difficult for me to identify them."As for the third kick, I didn't know where he usually shoots, so I relied on intuition, and I'm happy I helped the club."