Saints edge Blades as Scienza strikes early | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Southampton beat Sheffield United 1-0. Léo Scienza settled it in the seventh minute with a right-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner. The Blades grew after the restart, drawing saves from Daniel Peretz as Mark McGuinness headed wide deep into second half stoppage time. The Saints had 53.9% possession, while The Blades produced more efforts on target, four to three. Saints rise from 16th to 15th and visit Portsmouth next, while The Blades remain 17th and host Ipswich.

Player of the Match: Scienza was decisive, scoring the early winner and leading Saints' attack with five attempts, three on target, plus two successful dribbles.

Stat of the Match: Daniel Peretz produced four saves, preserving Saints' clean sheet under late pressure.

Three Things We Learned: Flynn Downes completed 31 of 34 passes and created one big chance, steadying Saints in midfield. McGuinness carried The Blades' main threat with three shots, including a late header wide in second half stoppage time. Taylor Harwood-Bellis led the defensive stand with seven clearances and six aerial wins for Saints.