When Leicester City hosts promotion-chasing Ipswich Town on Monday night, they will be looking to go back to winning ways.
The previous time Leicester City visited Coventry City, they suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss, their only loss of the Championship season. The Foxes can’t afford to let the pursuing pack to catch up to them even though they still have a sizable lead at the top of the table.
Ipswich Town will be all too familiar with falling away, having fallen short in recent weeks. Southampton has already passed the Tractor Boys, but if they win at the King Power Stadium, they might move back up to second place.
In the rematch at Portman Road, both teams shared the points thanks to an own goal by Jannik Vestergaard in the third minute of stoppage time. Leeds United and Southampton are both winning, so Ipswich will know that they cannot afford to lose. The King Power Stadium is a difficult location, which will make Kieran McKenna and company’s task even more difficult.
The last time Leicester City played Coventry City, they looked to be winning easily until Abdul Fatawu and Enzo Maresca were both sent off. The Foxes will be hoping that the outcome was an isolated incident rather than a group loss of heads because there were times when they seemed unsure of themselves.
When it comes to the Monday tie, both clubs have a lot riding on it in terms of promotion. If neither team ends up with less than 11 men at full time once more, it won’t be shocking. Considering the managers’ historical loyalty to the red and blue sides of Manchester, there should be no falling in love. In advance of the most recent meeting between the two parties, The Hard Tackle examines the interaction in greater detail.
News & Strategies for the Team
Leicester City
Abdul Fatawu made the decision to miss the AFCON and remain with Leicester City. However, he is now essentially out of the next three games due to his red. Additionally, manager Enzo Maresca, who was sent off against Coventry City, will serve a touchline ban.
Leicester could hardly have asked for a worse time to be without Fatawu. Due to their present attendance at the AFCON, they are already without Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho. With Jamie Vardy sidelined as well, the Foxes have even fewer choices.
Wilfred Ndidi’s long-term absence and Harry Souttar’s absence for the AFC Asian Cup only heighten their worries. Cesare Casadei has also ended his season-long loan and returned to Chelsea.
The final line of defense should be goalie Mads Hermansen from the outset. The back four of James Justin, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, and Ricardo Pereira are anticipated to guard him.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should be partnered with Harry Winks and Yunus Akgun in center midfield, with the former two allowing the latter to press forward as necessary. If necessary, this will enable Leicester to switch to a 4-2-3-1 configuration. Tom Cannon will lead the way, with Stephy Mavididi and Kasey McAteer providing the width on the wings.
The team led by Kielan McKenna of Ipswich Town will aim to win back-to-back Championship games for the first time since December 12. They have fallen in the race for the top after a run of four draws and one loss. They will be in striking reach if they defeat Leicester City and reduce the difference between them and the leaders to just four points.
After receiving his tenth yellow card of the season, Sam Morsy is suspended, and Massimo Luongo is presently out with an injury. At the Asian Cup, Cameron Burgess is playing for the Australian team, but George Hirst, Lee Evans, and Janoi Donacien are all sidelined due to injuries.
Jeremy Sarmiento and Lewis Travis will, nevertheless, present McKenna with choices. With Vaclav Hladky starting in goal, the former Manchester United coach will line up his team in a 4-2-3-1 configuration. It is anticipated that the back four of Leif Davis, George Edmundson, Luke Woolfenden, and Harry Clarke will shield him.
With Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin, and Nathan Broadhead driving the attack, Lewis Travis and Jack Taylor ought to be the twin pivots in the middle. Kayden Jackson will look to maintain his starting position up front and carry on his goal-scoring streak.
Important Statistics
Since 2014, Leicester City has not played Ipswich Town at home.
When playing Ipswich Town at home, Leicester City has gone 9 games without a loss.
The last time Ipswich Town beat the Foxes was in 2013, when Mick McCarthy was the manager.
Leicester City won’t have lost back-to-back league games until last November if they lose this evening.
The past two away games for Ipswich Town have ended in goals conceded.
A Player to Keep an Eye on
Leif Davis
Under Kieran McKenna, the former Leeds United and Bournemouth player has been a vital member of the Ipswich Town team and has had a great season. This season, Davis has tallied ten assists in the EFL Championship; only Southampton’s Adam Armstrong (11) has more.
In the English second division, the 24-year-old has also created 70 opportunities, second only to Gabriel Sara (75) of Norwich City and Crysencio Summerville (72). Once more, Davis will need to provide the attacking spark and will be counting on Ricardo Pereira’s forward runs to get behind the Foxes defense.
Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-0 Leicester City
The Foxes are a strong team, but they are also lacking a number of important players in addition to being shaken up after a setback. Although Ipswich won’t be in a better position, they won’t have a better opportunity to defeat Leicester for the first time since 2013. From the moment the kickoff whistle sounds, both teams should settle down and are unlikely to give much away. It looks like a 1-1 tie is the most likely result.
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