David O'Leary was given a sharp reminder last night of why Don Revie used Real Madrid as his inspiration when, almost four decades ago, he changed Leeds United's strip to all-white.
In the end Real got the win they needed to finish as Group D winners. Yet Leeds can take credit from extending the European champions to the odd goal in five after a soggy night in the Spanish capital which brought out equal measures of the best and worst in Vicente del Bosque's side.
With both sides already qualified for the knockout stages, the consequence of defeat was not overwhelming. Yet the prize of finishing top of the group represented more than just bragging rights. When the draw is made in Geneva on Friday week the group winners will have the luxury of avoiding each other in the final eight, as well as the theoretical advantage of playing the second leg of their quarter-final on home soil.
Leeds' opener after six minutes may have owed much to good fortune - television replays indicated Alan Smith was marginally offside - but in a one-on-one situation there are few better exponents of finishing than the young Leeds striker. Mark Viduka was the instigator, flummoxing the left-back Santiago Solari with a smart turn and change of pace, and with the Polish linesman charitably declining to raise his flag Smith was set free to slip the ball past the oncoming Cesar.
If that was something of an injustice, the reply a minute later was a blatant travesty and, from a Leeds viewpoint, excruciatingly timed. Eirik Bakke conceded a free-kick to the left of goal but when Figo whipped in the ball it seemed that the finishing touch had been applied by Raul's hand.
Real were then content to play their elaborate keep-ball and Leeds always alert to the possibilities of launching counter-attacking raids. For the most part they seemed to have quelled Real's most potent attacking forces but four minutes before the interval Figo put the hosts ahead.
As the Portuguese international advanced to the right of goal his intention was clearly to sweep a low delivery across the face of Nigel Martyn's goal. Instead, his cross took a preposterous kick off the turf, wrong-footed everyone and spun into the net.
For the equaliser Ian Harte sent a corner into the six-yard area and from such close range Viduka, scarcely believing the space he had been allowed, directed his header into a hopelessly exposed goal.
Once again, however, their joy was short-lived. Figo worked his way to the byline from a short corner and Raul - this time with his head - flicked in Real's third before Lucas Radebe was taken off on a stretcher after an awkward fall to be replaced by Gary Kelly.
REAL MADRID: Cesar; Geremi, Karanka, Hierro, Solari; Figo (Rivera, 90 min), Makelele (Savio, 86), Celades, McManaman; Raul, Morientes (Munitis, 75).
LEEDS UNITED: Martyn; Harte, Radebe (Kelly, 65), Ferdinand, Matteo; Bakke (Wilcox, 85), Dacourt, Batty, Kewell; Viduka, Smith.
Referee: R Wojcik (Poland).
