Leicester City faced off with Southampton FC at St. Mary’s, where a win stretches the Champions League advantage. This is how the match played out.
Their previous league encounter was a 2-0 win for Leicester City at King Power, where Harvey Barnes and James Maddison dominated the match throughout. This match helped the Foxes remain the only side to be in top four for the whole season thus far.
This match did not feature Harvey Barnes, who remains out after a setback to his long recovery from a knee-injury earlier in the season.
A 1-1 draw today, as a second half penalty for the Saints and a Jonny Evans goal saw the Foxes maintain their Champions League charge.
Read throughout to find out how the match played out, alongside tactical observations and analysis.
Leicester’s top four dreams
The King Power side will make plenty of money from Champions League qualification, and should fund at least two transfers into the club.
A loss means the Foxes would have to wait for their qualification for Champions league football at least another two or three matches. A draw would do little to dent their qualification, where a win moves them ten points clear of West Ham with only a few matches left to play.
Leicester City had plenty of work to do, after Jannik Vestergaard was sent off for a follow through challenge on Jamie Vardy. Southampton went to a highly defensive stance, with the game 0-0 at half time.
A Southampton penalty and a Jonny Evans equaliser in the second half means this was a match to forget for Brendan Rodgers.
The draw means that we go eight points clear of West Ham United, and will still need at least three wins if our competitors also win to confirm qualification for the Champions league. However, the UCL remains within grasp.
A typical first half
Leicester City have an unchanged starting XI once more, three matches in a row, three great performances in a row. Kasper Schmeichel, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Wesley Fofana, Timothy Castagne, Luke Thomas, Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Jamie Vardy, and Kelechi Iheanacho.
A strong line-up, with the Vardy-Iheanacho partnership continuing to payoff for Brendan Rodgers, as the former has become a playmaker, the latter a clinical goal scorer.
20:00: Kickoff at St. Mary’s stadium, where the famous 0-9 win occurred only recently. Cries for handball almost immediately as the ball brushes a Southampton FC player; hopefully we can have a lively performance today.
20:01: Offside goal for Southampton, but a beautiful long ball finds its way passed the Foxes defensive line, a warning sign if that does not improve.
20:04: freekick for Leicester City as Jonny Evans is fouled after winning the ball. Not much in that, but still enough for a freekick. Not much comes from the freekick, though a clear indication of Luke Thomas’ role in this match, he is playing very high up the pitch.
20:06: a very good opportunity for Southampton, as they cut through the midfield. Thomas saves the Foxes from red faces. Another chance immediately, with a terribly taken shot towards Schmeichel.
(RED CARD) 20:09: Freekick to the Foxes in a dangerous position, Jannik Vestergaard is sent off for denying Vardy an obvious opportunity on goal after a major error gave the ball away. Can we get a goal though?
20:13: Maddison misses the goal. Not a bad shot though. The opening 13 minutes have been dominated by sloppy passing. Substitution already for Southampton as they look to repair their defence with another player slotting in.
20:17: A fine shot on Schmeichel’s goal by Nathan Redmond. Ten men Southampton look up to the task at the moment.
20:20: Corner to Leicester City, as the Foxes are dominating possession and controlling the game completely after the scare. Poorly taken though, and no goal comes from a corner once more.
20:22: Another corner for the away side. This time well taken but comes to nothing, as the ball returns to the ‘Great Dane’.
20:28: A strange freekick for Southampton, as Takumi Minamino rolls over Maddison and wins a freekick. Nothing comes from it.
Thirty minutes defined by domination and trying to break through a very low defensive block. The only solace has been the continued danger-sense of Wesley Fofana, intercepting and clearing at crucial opportunities to help prevent a counter attack.
20:39: Corner to the away side once more. Taken short then kicked far too long. The opening 40 minutes have been lethargic and tough; they seem to be having a difficult time breaking through the nine man defence with a tenth waiting for a counter.
20:42: Another corner. How many are we going to get before we score one?
0-0 at half time, with very little currently happening. Tactically, Brendan Rodgers’ side remained in their 3-4-1-2 formation despite an early sending off for Vestergaard. Southampton have gone into a highly defensive low block, which is frustrating the Foxes.
A change of formation is needed in my opinion, with a defender coming off and an actual winger coming on to help stretch play and penetrate their defence.
Another poor night for Leicester City
Ayoze Perez brought on for Wesley Fofana. 4-3-3 formation restored. Brendan Rodgers’ sending the boys on to attack now.
21:07: Freekick for Southampton in Leicester’s half. Ball is with Schmeichel again and the attack can commence once more. Another freekick conceded by Thomas.
(Yellow card) 21:08: Minamino fouls Thomas, gets a yellow card and concedes a freekick. Once more again, nothing comes from the set piece. Set pieces really are the Foxes weakness at the moment; despite a lot of aerial players, nothing comes from it.
21:10: Corner to Leicester again. Nothing from that as well.
Mohammed Salisu has been simply fantastic for the Saints. He has had Kelechi Iheanacho on lockdown for now, and is by far the most important defensive player for Southampton at the moment. He is keeping his eye on all attacks well.
(PENALTY) 21:16: A freekick for the Saints in a dangerous position after sloppy passing leaves Castagne no choice but to go into his man. Shouts for handball against Iheanacho and a penalty is awarded!
(1-0) 21:18: Ten man Southampton have taken the lead through a sloppy concession and a penalty. A lot more work to do now. A few changes are needed to liven up the side.
21:24: Another corner to the Foxes. Nothing from that as well. Though another corner from that. A beautiful Perez chance, but another corner.
(1-1) 21:26: Goal for Jonny Evans and another assist for Iheanacho! Finally we are back in this game. Marc Albrighton brought on for Thomas, time to wrap this up. Albrighton is a solid performer and consistent, expect a good game now.
21:31: Another corner for the Foxes again. How many times are we going to get this set piece.
Once more, this half has been determined by possession for Leicester and a bunch of opportunities to create chances on goal, but little incisiveness to take the ball all the way into the net.
Vardy misses another big chance. His lack of confidence I find disturbing. We are creating a lot more chances, but need to finish those chances to edge us closer towards Champions League qualification.
21:43: Freekick in a dangerous position for LCFC. Offside… We need something soon.
A lot of time-wasting at the moment, as Southampton look to secure a point despite the early setback and the penalty goal.
Full time 1-1. Not good enough from Brendan Rodgers’ team, as they go eight points clear of West Ham United in fifth.