West Brom 0 Leeds 0 - Albion pass up golden second half chances
Albion opened their account at The Hawthorns for the season with a point in a stalemate against last season's beaten play-off finalists Leeds.
Carlos Corberan's hosts were the better side against a badly off-colour Leeds but were unable to find a way through in a tactical contest lacking real clear-cut opportunities.
The hosts' best came in the second period as Jayson Molumby shot at Illan Meslier from 18 yards and Karlan Grant sliced wide having been fed by the impressive Molumby.
The Baggies were the brighter in either half but Leeds, having lost some stars this summer, still carried a threat, albeit looked nervy with an unhappy pack of 2,500 travelling fans on their backs.
Corberan's men made it four points from their opening two league games after last weekend's success at QPR, with work in the transfer window still ahead. It was perhaps no surprise last season's Golden Glove winners Meslier and Alex Palmer recorded their first shutouts of the new campaign.
Corberan, as expected, fielded an unchanged line-up against the Whites, where the interesting team news came on the bench.
Captain Jed Wallace and fellow attacker Grady Diangana after missing spells of pre-season with calf injuries. Paddy McNair was also in the league squad for the first time.
Leeds, off the back of a 3-3 draw and 3-0 defeat to open up their campaign, were without Georginio Rutter, who is Brighton-bound for a £40million move. The visitors had also lost stars Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray this summer.
Albion were the brighter side for at least the opening half hour as they looked particularly threatening when moving the ball quickly. Alex Mowatt, the former Leeds man, nipped it about well and right-back Darnell Furlong carried a threat.
To the surprise of most, Tom Fellows played on the left with Grant on the right, more unusual roles for both. Leeds dangerman Dan James was on Fellows' side, the visitors' right, where home debutant Torbjorn Heggem defended for Albion.
Skipper Kyle Bartley turned a decent chance from a corner wide at the back post after the ball dropped to the feet of the defender, catching him by surprise.
Corberan's men looked far more fluent and together than their visitors, who were regularly booed by an angsty away end. The visitors did have a sighter or two as Junior Firpo headed over and captain Ethan Ampadu tried ambitiously from halfway.
Left-back Firpo and opposite full-back Jayden Bogle both collected early bookings, leaving them on a tightrope.
The hosts carved out their clearest opening early in the second period as Molumby's rising drive from 18 yards was straight at Meslier.
Albion were on top and created another strong chance after the hour as Molumby won the ball in Leeds' half. The Irishman powered forward and fed Grant, whose first-time effort sliced wide.
The second period was a more open affair as Bartley was unable to divert a powerful Josh Maja header goalwards from a quickly-taken free-kick before, straight down the other end, Struijk glanced a header wide from a corner after Alex Palmer's wild sliced clearance.
Corberan was able to introduce Wallace and then Diangana, as well as new recruit Lewis Dobbin, in the closing stages but much of the final 20 minutes lacked some intensity.
The hosts came on strong late on and were the more likely to find a winner. Bartley and Semi Ajayi held firm with some top defending to deny counters to help claim a point.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Heggem; Molumby (Diakite, 90+4), Mowatt; Fellows, Swift (Diangana, 85), Grant (Wallace, 75); Maja (Dobbin, 85).
Subs not used: Wildsmith, Taylor, Frabotta, McNair, Cole.
Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Bogle, Struijk, Rodon, Firpo; Ampadu (c), Gruev; James (Aaronson, 64), Piroe (Rothwell, 64), Gnonto; Joseph (Bamford, 79).
Subs not used: Darlow, Byram, Gelhardt, Debayo, Wober, Crew.
Attendance: 25,329 (2,535 Leeds fans)
Referee: Sam Allison
