Marcelo Bielsa explains Leeds United's struggles in nerve-wracking win and commends Barnsley

The Whites will go up if West Brom or Brentford fail to win their matches on Friday and Saturday respectively, but if they do Leeds require just a point at Derby County on Sunday to guarantee their escape from the Championship.

With the stakes as high as they've been all season, Leeds struggled in both defence and attack against a Tykes side fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table.

Barnsley went behind to a first half own goal from Michael Sollbauer but made life unbearably difficult for Whites fans watching on TV, outshooting the home side by 12 to seven and forcing Bielsa into a number of tactical changes.

The Argentine was happier with a first half in which he chopped and changed from a back three to a back four, than the second.

"Even if the first half we didn't have a big impact we managed it very well, we could control the match and we created some chances," he said.

"In the second half we couldn't control the match and it was difficult for us to defend. Barnsley are a team that in attack they have a lot of players who can unbalance the match. When the match progressed they added more offensive players and took off defensive players. We organised ourselves to try to resolve the adaptation we had to resolve. But it was difficult for us to defend well and we didn't attack a lot."

Even if the league leaders couldn't play their trademark football or wrestle control of the game, they worked tirelessly for the result, with several players looking incredibly weary by the time referee Jarred Gillett's whistle sparked joyous, relieved celebrations.

"It was a product of the collective effort," said Bielsa.

"We had to run a lot to keep the difference in the result. I value a lot the effort the players made to keep the difference in the result.

"It was a very tough match according to the mental balance, it was difficult for us to defend and attack and try to develop the play in the way we wished to, playing in the opponents' half.

"We couldn't do it in the second half, we couldn't attack more than defend. So when the difference in the result is just one goal, it is more difficult to keep the balance."

It's a result that leaves his side on the very brink of glory. But Bielsa, who suggested he wouldn't be watching the Baggies or the Bees and would instead focus fully on the Derby game, remains tight lipped on what could be.

"Until we resolve the situation mathematically it is not convenient to talk about this," he said.

When asked if he wanted the title as well as promotion, he allowed himself a rare chuckle: "This question only has one answer."

As for the visitors, some of whom sunk to the turf in devastation at full-time, Bielsa was full of praise. He appreciated how varied their attempts were to change the game and told boss Gerhard Struber at full-time.

"The opponent as the match progressed started to add offensive players and took off defensive players," he said.

"For example Styles, an offensive player, a creative midfielder finished playing as a left centre-back. The number six (Andersen) he was in our box as a centre forward. So what we did was try to control those kind of situations and not be surprised by them. To adapt well to this we needed to bring on players from the bench. Probably they used all the options to try to modify the result, we were thinking all the time to try to control this. When we recovered the ball we lost it very quickly. In the second half we spent a lot of time in defence. I sincerely want to recognise the work of our opponent today because they try in all the possible ways, possibly they deserved a different result. That is the comment I made at the end of the game."

Bielsa will focus on the players' recovery now before Sunday's fixture. Helder Costa was taken off on a stretcher during this afternoon's win having taken what Bielsa described as a kick in the ribs.