Carabao Cup preview: Leicester City Vs Manchester City

Leicester City and Claude Puel face their toughest task yet as they face England’s unrivalled number one in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Puel would have maybe hoped for something better than a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace coming into their season’s biggest game against Manchester City. The Foxes were on a staggering run up until recently, before Roy Hodgson’s Eagles ripped them to shreds at the King Power Stadium to end the four-game winning run.

Leicester City’s defensive vulnerabilities had been much talked about prior to the fixture against Palace, and they were there for all to see when Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Wilfred Zaha tormented the hosts’ back four with quite a bit of ease. Now, with all due respect to Crystal Palace, if they could do as much damage as they did a couple days back, imagine just how much devastation could a free-flowing Manchester City cause.

Even if Pep Guardiola decides to rest some of his first choice players in Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, they’d still play Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, a front three that’ll pounce upon any error, or exploit even an inch of space that’s available to them.

The most worrying woe, however, is the set-piece problem among the other defensive troubles. Leicester City are only ever a free-kick or a corner away from conceding, an issue that has been talked about for a long time. It’s not something that can be solved overnight, so all Leicester City can do is give up some of their attacking game in favour of defending.

Manchester City are the best team in England, but that doesn’t necessarily imply that they are equally good at the back. Pep Guardiola’s side doesn’t have the same, jaw-dropping quality in defence as they do up front, so if the Foxes can somehow get men behind the ball, sit deep and not give much away, they’ll surely give themselves a good chance. It sounds frighteningly obvious, but that’s how simple the game of football sometimes is.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: Harry Maguire of Leicester looks on during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St. James Park on December 9, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Key Man

This is not the kind of game to be decided by Leicester City’s attacking brilliance but their defensive nous, which is why Harry Maguire is the man to look up to. The England international has undoubtedly been Leicester’s signing of the season, though he has let himself down against the bigger sides at times. The Carabao Cup quarter-final presents him a chance to put it right.

Quotes

"“It’s a cup game and so character is important,” said Claude Puel.“To give your best for one another, to provide some options and some points to exploit about this team.“There are not a lot of points to exploit – but I will keep them for me.”“We learned it is difficult to find a solution.“It is difficult to cause problems; they defend very well. When they lose the ball they press high up the pitch and together.“They can play set attacks or fantastic counter attacks. It is a complete team. For the moment other teams need to adapt against this team."

Next: Five replacements should Riyad Mahrez leave Leicester City?

Possible XI

Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chillwell; King, Iborra; Mahrez, Gray, Albrighton; Vardy.