Birmingham 0-2 Leicester: player ratings
Kasper Schmeichel- 6
Against Championship opposition, Schmeichel was not forced into any saves throughout his first-half cameo. Continued to be vocal to the younger players and collected the ball with ease when called upon.
James Justin- 6
Same old Justin on Wednesday afternoon. Kept Lakin and Seddon quiet in first-half and linked up well with Albrighton in second-half. Encouraging signs seeing Justin’s confidence to drive up the wing.
Josh Knight- 7
After spending last season on loan at Peterborough United, Knight looked well in placed besides Soyuncu in the first-half. Two smart blocks to deny City caught the eye and certainly stood out in the opening 45.
Caglar Soyuncu- 6
His first outing since the 4-1 defeat at AFC Bournemouth, Soyuncu demonstrated his ability on the ball and without the ball. Switching play with diagonal balls was impressive and his cliché Cryuff-turns to turn out of pressure.
Khanya Leshabala- 6.5
All eyes were on the left-back position of the Foxes, following Ben Chilwell’s departure to Chelsea. Naturally a winger, Leshabala played very well on the left of defence with inverted drives into the heart of Birmingham’s defence.
Nampalys Mendy- 6
Utilised as a more defender midfielder of the three, Mendy’s distribution was one of the most telling factors of his performance. Collecting the ball deep and spreading play to Gray and Barnes helped the wingers attack the Blues.
Youri Tielemans- 7
One of the stand-out players in my opinion. Constantly spoke about his lack of fitness towards the end of last season, Tielemans displayed his fitness levels at the Blues training ground and was the provider for the opening goal.
Sidnei Tavares- 6.5
With Mendy sat back and Tielemans patrolling both boxes, Tavares was the most advanced midfielder on the pitch. His short touches and passes smartly created space for his team-mates and created dangerous positions for himself.
Demarai Gray– 6
A typical Gray performance. Looked exciting but was just lacking any final product. Managed to transition play from defence to attack with his pace and flair.
Harvey Barnes- 5.5
Playing on the left-wing, Barnes was targeted the most from Birmingham’s defence. Once the ball made it’s way to the winter, he was up against two Leicester City defenders. Played himself into trouble too many times, but the energy was there to see.
George Hirst- 6
Failed to make much influence on the game as the lone striker. Saw his headed attempt fly just over the goal after comfortably powering over a Blues defender and linked-up well with on-running team-mates.