City Make Cup Quarter Finals… AGAIN !

Burton 1 – 3 Leicester City

Carabao Cup Round of 16

29^th October 2019 Pirelli Stadium

MATCH REPORT BY SIMON MACK

The foxes made their way to the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup with a steady victory against League One fellow midlands side Burton Albion.

City boss Brendan Rodgers made 9 changes to the side that destroyed Southampton 9-0 in the Premier League the Friday prior with Demari Gray, Marc Albrighton, Wes Morgan, Danny Ward, James Justin, Christian Fuchs, Kelechi Inheanacho, Dennis Praet and Hamza Choudhury all starting the game. Only Jonny Evans and Youri Tielemans remained from the record breaking eleven that demolished their south coast hosts 4 days prior, but it didn’t stop the foxes putting in a solid performance and after just 7 minutes Inheanacho put the visitors in front sweeping home a perfectly weighted Youri Tielemans cross from the left.

Thirteen minutes later it was the Belgian international that doubled the lead when he met Dennis Praet’s short pass from the right to slot the ball neatly home to double the foxes lead. Tielemans was at the heart of much of what was of quality in city’s performance on a nippy evening in Burton, bur behind that had been some smart build up play from Demari Gray also, and the foxes changed look did not temper the attacking spirit that has been so evident in recent Premier League encounters.

Leicester’s keeper for the evening Danny Ward had to make a couple of tidy saves before the half time whistle blew, and whilst Burton had made sporadic forays into the city half both the lead and possession advantage the foxes enjoyed made for a level of security in their superiority in this match, but after the break that was to change for a while.

Albion came into the second half with some clever interplay, and whilst they failed to build up a sustained period of pressure upon their visitors so determined play on the edge of the city box saw the ball eventually find its way to Brewers front man Liam Boyce who thundered the ball at Ward between the city posts, and his attempt to save the effort only made part contact and the ball found the corner of the net.

With the home crowd baying for more Burton came close from a corner that was headed off the line by Hamza Choudhury, but it wasn’t long before normal service in this match was resumed and but for some poor finishing from Marc Albrighton and Demari Gray the match would have been put far beyond the host’s reach.

Eventually late on James Maddison made his way onto the pitch and shortly after Demari Gray cut the ball back to him unmarked in the box and he swept the 3^rd for the foxes home and put the tie beyond doubt.

This match had been full of decent performances from fringe city players that will have benefitted from game time on a cold night in Burton. Leicester’s hosts had kept them honest but in truth it was largely the foxes poor finishing touch and some great saves from Brewers keeper Kieran O’Hara that had kept this tie in the balance.

Performances of note from Marc Albrighton who had provided a high standard of cross and corner into the box along with some passionate and skilful endeavour along the wing throughout the match. Demari Gray had a hand in all 3 of the city goals on the night but at the same time had fluffed his lines in front of goal when he had the chance, and it made you wonder if he needs some more cameo opportunities from the bench in the Premier League in order to sharpen his confidence.

Youri Tielemans… sublime. Nothing more needed on that one.

For the rest this was a decent day at the office. It had been good to see Inheanacho get on the score sheet also but his impact on the game waned as the match matured, and with many foxes fans already uncertain this performance will have failed to convince them their opinion needs to alter.

Credit is due to Burton for getting into the game and making this a contest and a valid match up that demanded your attention throughout. If Leicester City were a 6 speed gearbox this performance was most likely with the lever in the second notch with the clutch depressed and third achieved for brief flashes of note.

Job done and onto a match that sees the foxes just 2 games from a cup final. And what price a final for city during what is becoming a season to remember even before anyone’s blown their eyebrows off attempting to light a Catherine wheel nailed to the neighbour’s fence.

WATCH THE FANS POST MATCH Q&A with PHIL Here :