3 Talking points from Leicester’s UECL victory against Rennes

Leicester City reclaimed their momentum last night as they emerged victorious with a 2-0 victory against the French side Rennes.

Victories with clean sheets have been a rare sight for the Foxes this season. No wonder it was a refreshing feeling as the King Power club earned three back-to-back clean sheets since the start of March.

Rennes is a tricky side to beat. They are the fourth-best French side in terms of the Ligue 1 standings. Bruno Génésio’s outfit remained undefeated in Group G of the UEFA Europa Conference League. They managed to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in an encounter this campaign and were the side to have handled Paris Saint-Germain their very first loss this season.

Leicester City was missing some of their best options while facing the Rennais at home. The returning Wesley Fofana had contracted the coronavirus and was withdrawn immediately alongside Jamie Vardy, who picked up an injury during the Leeds United game. Despite the odd changes in the starting line-up, the team worked to earn the valuable first-leg victory in the tournament’s Round of 16.

The next few fixtures would be a fascinating sight measuring Brendan Rodgers’ side’s credentials. Please click the below link to continue the article.

The Foxes will be getting back some of their players and will be tempted to utilize them against Arsenal. It could be a novice call to take as Rodgers has already been punished once for rushing out recovered players too quickly. If they can hold on until the missing starters return, the conclusion to the season could indeed turn out to be on an upward slope.

Leicester City’s three talking points

Selection pattern– Over the last few weeks, despite the adversaries, Brendan Rodgers seems to have cracked the code. He has found to alternate his squad to perfection. Sometimes the fans may criticize him for it, but there is no denying that his erratic selection has yielded fruition. Marc Albrighton was an odd choice yesterday, which the fans were perplexed to see.

Ademola Lookman seemed like the obvious choice, but the manager thought better, and it showed. Albrighton scored once and assisted one to kill off the game in the East Midlander’s favor. No doubt the decision could have turned out to be a massive failure, but luckily the team prevented it by backing the tactical plan.

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The backline– The defensive woes have now been put on hold. The odd centre-back pairing between Daniel Amartey and Çağlar Söyüncü is doing the job. Finally, after months of hits and trials with different pairings, the Turkish defender looks in rhythm and is slowly finding back his lost footing. The developments in the immediate backline have complemented the confidence of the Leicester City captain and shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel.

James Justin is developing slowly by earning his minutes. His managed appearances are a precautionary measure implemented before he gets back into his regular form. Luke Thomas is just the kind of wingback we need. He was brilliant in one-on-one situations and provided ample support for Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall by making frequent forward runs.

Priorities– Brendan Rodgers’ man-management becomes essential, now as for the first time this season, he has to prioritize his selection against Arsenal over the weekend. The boss should abstain from featuring his best squad and pushing them for a result. As the new rules are in place, a 2-0 victory doesn’t provide the extra cushion of the lead as was in the case of away rules.

The Foxes need to grind out the next game against Rennes at Roazhon Park on March 17. The Gunners have always been a tough side to beat. It is not worth the gamble to jeopardize the European campaign by over-stressing in one league game. Considering Leicester City’s terrible luck with untimed injuries, the Northern Irishman should take a call and think this through.