Half-Time Report: Virgil van Dijk goal gives Southampton lead against Swansea City

A header from Virgil van Dijk has given Southampton a 1-0 half-time lead over Swansea City.

The Saints started on the front foot and twice missed early opportunities to go ahead through Sadio Mane, as the winger curled an effort over the bar before inching an effort wide of the Swansea goal.

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Southampton took the lead on 11 minutes, as Van Dijk found the back of the net with a header from a James Ward-Prowse corner.

Jonjo Shelvey had an effort from distance as his Swansea side looked for an equaliser, but his strike went well over the bar.

Swansea came close to scoring when Maarten Stekelenburg parried a strike from Ki Sung-yeung, but Jose Fonte pounced onto the ball to clear the danger.

Graziano Pelle almost doubled Southampton's lead on 33 minutes, as the Italian striker missed the target with a header from a Dusan Tadic cross, before Mane forced a save from Lukasz Fabianski before half time.