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Cardiff City's nine-match unbeaten run came crashing down in ugly fashion as they were battered 7-0 by Leeds United.

It was a walk in the park for the Championship leaders, who struck twice in the first half before netting a further four after the break to really put Cardiff to the sword. The Bluebirds were shocking, truly appalling, the hosts' clear quality notwithstanding.

Too many sub-par performances, too many duels lost, not enough fight, not enough quality. Simply horrendous. Their worst result of the season and worst performance by a considerable margin.

The result will be a major disappointment to Omer Riza, whose side made real strides in January and looked to have turned a corner. But it was men against boys in this most sobering defeat at Elland Road. They can only hope it's not too damaging, with winnable games coming up in the coming weeks.

It looked destined to be a long afternoon in west Yorkshire. Leeds were playing a different sport to Cardiff from the get-go. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

They fizzed sharp passes back and forth and their wingers had seemingly installed jets into the heels of their boots, such was their pace in comparison to the Bluebirds' centre backs. It was backs-to-the-wall pretty early on and that wall was breached twice within the first 13 minutes.

With five minutes on the clock, Leeds turned defence into attack in lightning-fast fashion. A ball was slotted in behind Cardiff's defence and the rapid Dan James latched on to it and rounded goalkeeper Jak Alnwick. City scrambled, but James stayed cool and picked out Brenden Aaronson in the middle of the box and the forward will have few easier finishes this season.

The second goal was a familiar story for Cardiff - a goal they have conceded all too often over the last 18 months or so. James was played in down the flank behind Callum O'Dowda and his square ball found Manor Solomon, who, like Aaronson, will not have had many easier chances in his career as he tapped home into an empty net.

It looked like it was going to turn ugly at that point. Cardiff's defenders flung themselves at the ball to stop the litany of shots and cross being fired at them from their Leeds counterparts. The hosts had nine corners in the first half, for context.

Despite a number of efforts on Cardiff's goal, however, the visitors managed to trudge down the tunnel with just a two-goal deficit to their name. Given how that first half had gone — the Bluebirds had to wait until the 43rd minute for their first shot on goal, a tame Anwar El Ghazi effort from 25 yards — it didn't seem too bad an outcome.

But that scoreline didn't even last five minutes of the second half, with Wales international James getting a much-deserved goal. Junior Firpo whipped a cross across the face of goal and James ghosted in at the back post to tap home from a yard or so out.

It got worse, too.

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Two quickfire goals saw Leeds sail into a 5-0 lead just past the hour mark. The first came from the penalty spot after O'Dowda had hauled down James in the area and Joel Piroe stepped up and slotted home from 12 yards out.

Wilfried Gnonto, who had been on for a matter of seconds, then netted a stunner after he cut in from the right hand side and drilled it into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. Everything was coming off for the hosts.

There was time for two more, too. The sixth was almost a carbon copy of James's. Firpo was found down that wide channel, a real weakness of Cardiff's, and stuck a laser-like cross to the back post for Mateo Joseph, who tapped home easily. With just seconds remaining, Piroe was put through for his second and he slotted past Alnwick to send Elland Road into seventh heaven.

Sivert Mannsverk came on for his Bluebirds debut following his loan move from Ajax, but he will doubtless hope this is the nadir of his loan spell in the capital and that the only way is up.

Indeed, that's what Riza, who was watching from the stands following his three-match ban, and the City fans will hope it is - a blip in an otherwise positive period against a team who look destined for the Premier League again.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Bogle (Byram 66), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Tanaka (Struijk 78), Rothwell; James (Gnonto 66), Aaronson (Joseph 71), Solomon (Ramazani 71); Piroe.

Subs: Darlow, Wober, Gruev, Guilavogui.

Cardiff City XI: Alnwick; Rinomhota, Goutas, Daland (Bagan 57), O'Dowda (Fish 81); Chambers, Ralls (Mannsverk 67), Robertson; Ashford (Ng 67), Robinson, El Ghazi (Salech 57).

Subs: Horvath, Willock, Colwill, Reindorf.