Leicester City’s pre-season schedule got underway on Wednesday as they eased past Birmingham City at the Blues’ Wast Hill training ground.
Following a goalless first-half, that Leicester City dominated, the Foxes’ clinical touch was on show when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fired Youri Tielemans cross in before Marc Albrighton’s bizarre goal made it 2-0.
Admiral Muskwe, who helped Swindon Town to promotion last season, earned and missed a second-half penalty for the East Midlands side.
With no signings so far this summer, Brendan Rodgers was forced to use the academy players on the day, leaving out the likes of James Maddison, Jamie Vardy and Wilfred Ndidi.
Next up is Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday at the Loughborough University Stadium, in a contest which could see a similar outcome than the meeting with Aitor Karanka’s side.
Our player ratings are on the next page:
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.
Danny Ward- 5
Came on at the interval in replacement of Schmeichel and was a passenger throughout. Distribution was what is expected from the goalkeeper. Birmingham failed to test Ward due to their struggle to deny the Foxes of any space.
Marc Albrighton- 7
Very impressive 45-minute performance for the former-Aston Villa man. Managed to deliver his traditional ball from the right, but it just contained too much elevation. Scored his first goal since the 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Boxing Day 2018.
Filip Benkovic- 6
Looked very comfortable alongside Soyuncu at the start of the second half. Made a last-ditch sliding challenge to prevent a possible Birmingham counter and distributed the ball impressively. If Benkovic wants a Foxes shirt this season, Wednesday’s performance will have done him no harm.
Hamza Choudhury- 6
Like Mendy, Choudhury looked good in the defensive midfielder slot. Looked as though he had got a little stronger since the defeat to Manchester United. Important pre-season for the English midfielder if he is to break into Rodgers’ team.
Admiral Muskwe- 6.5
Offered something different to what Hirst had to offer. His blistering pace caused havoc for the Birmingham defence and won the penalty. Although missing it, he recovered well and worked well with Josh Eppiah.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall- 7
Dewsbury-Hall received many plaudits for his time at Blackpool last season. With Luton Town reportedly wanting to loan the midfielder, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is given a chance in the Leicester City team. A well-taken goal and very comfortable performance in the middle of the park.
Vontae Daley-Campbell, Darnell Johnson, Ethan Fitzhugh, Wanya Marcal-Madivadua and Josh Eppiah – N/A
All five Academy players were brought on but all didn’t affect the game in any way. With the slow tempo of the game, there was nothing to report on.