Minute-by-minute action

Tim Hobbs reporting

Leeds planted one foot firmly in the Champions League semi-final with a powerful destruction of Deportivo La Coruna.

Goals from Ian Harte, Alan Smith and Rio Ferdinand's first for the club gave David O'Leary's men another remarkable chapter to their European fairytale.

Where Manchester United had stumbled at home 24 hours earlier Leeds strode confidently to success and must surely be favourites for a semi-final spot out of the eight quarter-finalists.

They had been dubbed the weakest side left in it by a Depor director, but once Harte had stung Francisco Molina's palms with an early drive, the humble pie was already being warmed up in the Elland Road kitchens.

It proved to be a mere sighter for Harte and when Cesar bundled Smith over on the edge of the box, the Republic of Ireland international ignited another sensational Leeds success by exploding the 22-yard free-kick in off the underside of the bar.

David Batty then saw his swerving 25-yarder superbly saved, but with Olivier Dacourt disrupting Depor in the middle and Ferdinand looking worth every penny of his £18million price tag, the visitors were rarely allowed to show how they had won La Liga last season.

Smith should have added a second from one of several sumptuous Harry Kewell crosses but although his diving header flew well wide, he was to get it right six minutes into the second half.

Just as Depor were finally starting to look the part, two Leeds corners in quick succession pegged them back and Kewell delivered the telling ball to Smith to power past Cesar and head past a helpless Molina.

The majority of a capacity crowd would surely have settled for that but O'Leary's young side bounded tirelessly on in search of a third in the manner that has already seen them shoot down some of Europe's biggest guns in a remarkable Champions League run.

Harte curled another free-kick a matter of inches wide straight after Smith's strike before more pressure brought another corner on the left and the moment most of Elland Road had been waiting for since Leeds smashed the world record fee for a defender.

Again it came from a left-wing corner and again Depor's aerial weakness played a part as Harte's corner skimmed off Nourredine Naybet at the near post and presented Ferdinand with a simple chance.

Despite the margin, the £18million man still needed to show his defensive qualities and as the much-vaunted Brazilian Djalminha finally started to extert an influence, he did just that.

Time and time again Ferdinand and his defensive colleagues got a foot, leg, or body in at the right moment and even when Depor did get through on goal, Nigel Martyn preserved the precious clean sheet with a smart save from the disappointing Roy Makaay and a fumbling block from a Djalminha free-kick.

The blank next to Depor's name was as important as the three for Leeds, but the Spaniards will be sure to point to the Second Phase game when they came from 3-0 down to beat Paris St Germain at the Riazor.

They have not lost a league game on their own soil all season, but nor had Anderlecht in the last stage and Lazio were no pushovers in Rome either.

Leeds and O'Leary may still be dreaming, but the prospect of a semi-final spot in Europe's premier competition is fast becoming a reality - and a spectacular one at that.

Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Harte, Ferdinand, Matteo, Bowyer, Dacourt, Batty, Kewell (Wilcox 84), Smith, Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Kelly, Bakke, Burns, Maybury.
Booked: Matteo, Batty, Dacourt.

Deportivo: Molina, Manuel Pablo, Romero, Noureddine Naybet, Cesar, Scaloni (Tristan 72), Emerson, Duscher (Valeron 55), Fran (Pandiani 71), Djalminha, Makaay.
Subs Not Used: Songo'o, Devila, Victor, Fernando.
Booked: Emerson.

Att: 35,508
Ref: Gilles Veissirtr

Minute-by-minute updates

90mins: FULL-TIME! Leeds win 3-0 - a sensational result!
90mins: SAVE! Martyn down brilliantly to parry Makaay snap shot
90mins: The final whistle can't come quick enough for Leeds
88mins: OOOH! Makaay flicks Emerson dribbler straight into Martyn's hands
87mins: Depor free-kick headed behind by Mills
86mins: Leeds corner - Harte underhits it, but Depor can't break clear
85mins: A bemused Wilcox flagged off-side after fine Dacourt pass
84mins: SUB! Kewell off to a standing ovation and Wilcox comes on
83mins: OOOH! Valeron fizzes one just wide - Leeds looking tired now
82mins: OOOH! Ferdinand clears after Martyjn fumbles poor Djalminha kick
82mins: Bowyer penalised - Depor free-kick in a dangerous area 30 yards out
77mins: Yet another great Dacourt challenge halts Depor in their tracks
76mins: Deflected Bowyer drive bounces harmlessly into Molina's grasp
75mins: The game's stretched now - which might suit Leeds even more
71mins: Djalminha shot easily gathered by Martyn
70mins: SUBS! Tristan and Pandiani on for Fran and Scaloni
69mins: Depor corner - headed clear by  any one of five Leeds men
67mins: One again... 'Are you watching Manchester?' - or at least logging on!
66mins: GOAL! FERDINAND heads home after corner skims off a defender
65mins: Kewell wins a Leeds corner - and another in quick succession
64mins: Viduka wastes great position by slicing his cross behind
63mins: BOOKING! Dacourt picks up his customary caution
62mins: Depor have responded well - Leeds are on the back foot
60mins: Frantic Leeds defending - led by Ferdinand - scrambles the danger away
59mins: Emerson lashes a wilde effort high and wide into the Kop
57mins: OOOH! Harte curls another free-kick inches wide of the post
55mins: OOOH! Makaay just fails to get telling touch on Scaloni's ball in
53mins: OOOH! Nayberises but heads Depor corner well over the top
53mins: SUB! Valeron on for Duscher - who has not done much
52mins: OOOH! Kewell curls one well wide after clever touch from Smith
51mins: GOAL! SMITH powers home superb Kewell cross for 2-0
49mins: SAVE! Molina pushes Smith cross shot past his far post - corner
47mins: Depor already look more assured, but Ferdinand's playing a blinder
46mins: Feeble Molina punch concedes corner -  but it comes to nowt
45mins: Depor restart - can Leeds add to their tally and keep a clean sheet?

FIRST HALF
45mins: HALF-TIME 1-0 - Harte's goal still separates the two sides
44mins: OOOH! Smith sends Kewell cross wide with a diving header
41mins: Surprise, surprise Duscher springs back to his feet straight away and is on
40mins: Duscher is down in the centre circle and is stretchered off - holding his nose
39mins: The referee penalisies Matteo for pushing - hope he's not getting picky
39mins: OOOH! Dacourt effort deflects inches past Molina's post - corner
37mins: Matteo falls foul of the foot-up problems that plague our sides in Europe
36mins: Depor corner - Mills heads behind. Second one just scrambled clear
35mins: Panic in the Depor box as Molina flaps badly at Harte's corner
32mins: SAVE! Molina makes flying stop to deny Batty's (yes) 25-yard piledriver
31mins: Leeds keep up the pressure - the Depor defence seems somewhat unstable
29mins: 'Are you watching Manchester?' rings around a vibrant Elland Road
28mins: OOOH! Molina easily saves low Smith drive after striker was forced wide
26mins: GOAL! HARTE crashes the kick home off the underside of the bar
25mins: Smith hauled down by Cesar right on the edge of the box
22mins: Depor slowing the game down, not least when taking throw-ins
22mins: Leeds break halted for a foul - on Dacourt - and Harte overhits the kick
18mins: It's all in midfield, with Emerson prominent but Bowyer and Batty scrapping away
17mins: Srcappy period, but Leeds still seem sharper
14mins: OOOH! Kewell fizzes one over after superbly beating two men on the left
12mins: Promising move breaks down as Viduka tries fancy back-heel... badly
11mins: SAVE! Molina out to parry Bowyer effort after sumptious Harte pass
10mins: Makaay caught off-side, but only just. Leeds need to be careful
9mins: OOOH! Molina needs two attempts to gather dipping Harte drive
8mins: Djalminha has the first shot, but it bobbles harmlessly wide
7mins: Kewell cross deflected back into Molina's waiting grasp
7mins: Great Ferdinand tackle halts Romero in the box
5mins: Bowyer harries keeper Molina into hurried clearance
5mins: Manuel Pablo penalised for foul throw...tut, tut - at this level too!
3mins: First Depor raid, bur skipper Fran is foiled by a linesman's flag
1mins: Leeds launch first attack, but Dacourt overhits his through ball
0mins: Kick-off - Leeds get the game underway at a packed Elland Road