Norwich vs. Leicester: Match Preview, Thoughts, Predictions

Coming off a bitter 1-0 loss to Manchester City, Leicester City will look to pick up three points versus what seems to be a doomed opponent. The Foxes need to get back on track to secure a spot in the Champions League.

Leicester are in the midst of a minor slump, winning only one match in the last six Premier League matches while drawing two. They’re still 3rd in the table and look very assured of European competition but this is a slump they need to break. Thankfully, a trip to Carrow Road and a date with the last place Canaries is the remedy Brendan Rodgers and company are looking for.

Rooted to the bottom of the table, Norwich have been uninspiring all year-long. They’ve won only one match in their last ten outings in the Premier League. Yikes.

Teemu Pukki is no longer the free-scoring madman seen at the beginning of the season so Norwich are reeling in front of goal. The last time the Norfolk side scored from open play was January 1. With pretty much nothing to lose, Daniel Farke will look to ramp up the aggressiveness and find a way to build some momentum for a great escape.

That starts with their young and energetic fullbacks in Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis. It will be key for Leicester City to shut down the wings and keep Aarons and Lewis from bombing up and down the pitch. A big question is if Norwich manager Farke starts star midfielder Emiliano Buendia.

Although Buendia is by far the best creative player Norwich have at their disposal, he hasn’t started for Norwich the last couple of games, much to the disappointment – that’s putting it lightly – of Norwich fans. Recent signing Lukas Rupp, who was bought from Hoffenheim, has been putrid as a right-winger. Perhaps this is the game where that experiment is put to bed.

As for Brendan Rodgers’ team, the squad got a significant boost with the potential return of Wilfred Ndidi. He went back to training on Wednesday, and even if he’s on the bench for Friday’s match, this is a victory in itself. It is likely Ndidi will be a substitute, as Hamza Choudhury will be returning as well after his red card suspension vs Wolverhampton Wanderers.

This marks the first time James Maddison will return to Carrow Road after his superb time there in the Championship. He, alongside other key players like Youri Tielemans, have been inconsistent the last few games but this is a perfect environment to get right ahead of an admittedly easy rest of season schedule.

In fact, the East Midlanders showed promising strides vs Manchester City, especially going forward. Therefore the squad will look to build on that. This is a good game to see some bench players make a start, like Choudhury and James Justin, who could give the struggling Ben Chilwell a deserved rest. Rodgers will more than likely go with a conventional 4-3-3 shape in this one. The Foxes are heavily favored and should leave Carrow Road with three points in hand.