By
SABC Sport
5th April 2026
After conceding a two-goal lead in injury-time at the end of the game, Leeds fought off a late flurry from the Hammers to win on penalties, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri the hero with two saves from the spot.
Ao Tanaka had opened the scoring with his deflected shot on 26 minutes before substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked to have sealed the result with his penalty with 75 minutes on the clock.
But Mateus Fernandez found a 93rd minute leveller before Axel Disasi powered home a ferocious volley with 97 minutes on the clock to take the game to extra-time.
Leeds attacker Noah Okafor was first with an opportunity for an early opener with a curling shot on target that Alphonse Areola tipped around the left-hand upright.
Perri made a superb, instinctive one-handed save to his left, at the other end, as Jarrod Bowen's low cross was directed goalward by ValentÃn Castellanos.
Adama Traore then broke through the Leeds midfield before setting up Bowen for a shot from the edge of the 18-yard area, but Perri made another strong save before James Justin completed the clearance.
Both sides continued to look for openings, but it was the away team who were the more dominant and broke the deadlock after 26 minutes as Tanaka started and finished a good attacking move, with a shot that took a massive deflection off Disasi to beat Areloa in the Hammers' goal.
Leeds should have been two goals to the good on 33 minutes as Anton Stach raced through following a quick break out of defence from Okafor but Areola made a brilliant save to turn the ball around a post.
Fernandes should have done better with a snapshot from the edge of the small box on 39 minutes as West Ham looked for a response before Castellanos fired over on the turn under pressure from Jaka Bijol, for the last real good chance of an eventful first half.
Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts were withdrawn by Hammers boss Nuno EspÃrito Santo for Tomas Soucek and Pablo at half-time as he looked for a way back into the quarter-final tie.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke was forced to replace an injured Anton Stach for Brenden Aaronson towards the end of the first period and lost Joe Rodon just after the break, following a heavy collision with Soucek, and replaced by Sebastiaan Bornauw.
Castellanos was wide with an awkward chance from a tight angle on the hour mark before the Hammers' best chance of the afternoon, with a diving header from the same player that agonisingly came back off the right-hand upright.
West Ham were enjoying a good spell of attacking possession and a whipped in Bowen cross was crucially headed clear by Bijol, with Traore lurking.
Farke took active steps to take the momentum out of the Hammers' attack with a triple substition, introducing Calvert-Lewin, Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev for Lucas Nmecha, Tanaka and Okafor.
Pascal Struijk was off target with his 70th minute strike before calls for a penalty for Leeds five minutes later were initially waved away by the referee as Max Kilman took out Aaronson inside the box.
A VAR review reversed the decision and Calvert-Lewin fired emphatically past Areola into the bottom left-corner of the net to all but seal his side's first semi-final appearance in 39 years.
Gnonto so nearly backheeled a third goal with 78 minutes as Leeds' attacking substitutions looked lively in front of goal before Sebastiaan Bornauw forced Areola into a strong save from his long-range effort.
There were 11 minutes of time added to the end of the game, and West Ham used every one of them as first Fernandes pulled a goal back in the 93rd minute as Bowen's left-foot shot from the edge of the area beat Perri and came back off a post before being bundled home by Fernandes.
Disasi then drew level three minutes later with a flying volley to meet a Traore cross and leave the Leeds support in disbelief as the tie went to extra-time.
From being minutes away from a place in the semi-finals, Leeds momentarily found themselves behind for the first time after a calamity of an error from Perri. The goalkeeper tried to head clear under pressure from Castellanos, who won the ball and scored from a tight angle - only for the goal to be ruled out for offsides.
A combination of Soucek and Areola somehow managed to keep the ball out as Justin fired in on goal, and Perri kept out a Kyle Walker-Peters effort as the action swung from end to end.
Perri was on hand to keep out Castellanos from close range, and Pablo had the ball in the back of the net after a Bowen strike rebounded back to him after slamming off a post, but the player was called up for offsides.
Bowen then curled a shot wide as the Hammers continued to look the most likely match-winners, while Diouf really should have done better on the left of the six-yard box after being fed by Traore, as he blasted wide.
Extra-time substitute Mohamadou Kante was able to break free inside the Leeds box bit couldn't keep his shot on target
There was a lengthy stoppage after Areola landed badly on on his left foot, with young reserve stopper Finlay Herrick summoned as his replacement for the final few minutes - and imminent penalty shootout.
With no further goals, the tie went to a shootout to settle the outcome.
First up was Leeds, and Joel Piroe had his kick superbly saved by Herrick. Bowen tried to place his kick left of Perri, but the Leeds stopper also made a good save.
Calvert-Lewin made no mistake as he powered his kick down the middle, and Walker Peters was similarly successful with a cool penalty to the left of the keeper.
Aaronson was also on target, as was Soucek, and Wilfried Gnonto powered his effort into the top left corner past Herrick.
Perri then made his second save to deny Pablo, and Pascal Struijk stepped up to sweep home and send Leeds to the semi-finals.
