Leicester player ratings from 2-1 Cardiff win: Hail Cesare

Another win. Another unconvincing performance. The first time in the club’s history that four consecutive victories have been achieved at the start of the season. But only just, a last gasp winner from Chelsea loanee Cesare Casadei on his debut sparing the Foxes’ blushes.

There was little surprise in Enzo Maresca’s team selection, the only changes from last week’s victory over Huddersfield being the return of Mads Hermansen in goal and Ndidi replacing the injured Praet in midfield.

Leicester were well on top in the first half creating a number of chances including, most notably, Kelechi Iheanacho’s left foot shot which came back off the upright. The mounting pressure paid off when in the 36th  minute when a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner was only half cleared by a Cardiff defender and Wanya Marcal-Madivadua lashed in his first senior goal. Leicester looked well on top and it was a big surprise when Cardiff equalised in first half injury time. There seemed little danger when returning Cardiff old-boy Aaron Ramsey picked up the ball thirty yards out and the Leicester fans were stunned when he proceeded to hit a perfectly directed shot past the despairing dive of Hermansen. That was the only attempt on goal of any kind by the Welsh club in the first half.

At the start of the second half the game quickly developed into a pattern with sustained, although relatively toothless, pressure from the Foxes being accompanied by the occasional rapid counter-attack. As in the Coventry game, Cardiff once or twice exposed Leicester’s lack of pace at the back but, like the Coventry game too, they spurned a couple of really good chances to take the lead. A point apiece seemed the likely outcome when, in the dying moments, a misdirected shot from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ricocheted off a Cardiff defender into the path of Jamie Vardy, on as a substitute, who drifted past a despairing challenge before being hauled down.  Penalty, the Blue Army cried, but before referee Graham Scott was required to make a decision, the Chelsea loanee Casadei, also on as a substitute, calmly lifted the ball over the keeper. Three points won. Just.