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Match Preview: Leicester City vs Leeds United

A pivotal round of 16 match pits two old foes at the King Power Stadium

EFL Official Wesbite

Leicester City vs Leeds United

Tuesday 2:45 PM ET, King Power Stadium

Leicester looked revitalized in their last match against Swansea. The 2-1 victory was primarily in part to an inspired Riyad Mahrez and the re-introduction of Shinji Okazaki into the squad.

How to Watch

You will be able to catch the match on ESPN’s mobile app.

The Competition

Leeds needed a penalty shootout to beat Burnley to advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Their last five matches have been a bit of a mixed bag, winning two and losing three.

Bristol City v Leeds United - Sky Bet Championship
BRISTOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Pierre-Michel Lasogga of Leeds United is tackled by Aden Flint of Bristol City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Leeds United at Ashton Gate on October 21, 2017 in Bristol, England.
Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images

Leeds main danger man ahead of the match is Samuel Saiz Alonso. With four goals in each the Championship and the Carabao Cup, he is Leeds’ top scorer. Leeds have allowed 16 goals so far this season, one more than Leicester (15), look for this match to end anything but 0-0.

The Foxes

Michael Appleton will surely have been pleased with Leicester’s performance against Swansea, especially the first half. The Foxes were all over the Swans, and although it took an own goal to take the lead, they got the first goal they so desperately desired. Shinji Okazaki tip-toed the offside line and struck home a fantastic Riyad Mahrez cross to get the insurance goal.

Swansea City v Leicester City - Premier League
Ki Sung-Yueng of Swansea challenges Shinji Okazaki of Leicester during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Leicester City at Liberty Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Swansea, Wales.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

There will be wholesale changes in the squad tomorrow and I expect we will see more of Islam Slimani, Demarai Gray, and perhaps even Ahmed Musa. The Foxes have depth at the forward position in spades and their class should rise to the occasion against a side a league below, but it wouldn’t be the first time this season Leicester lowered their standard of play to fit that of their opposition.

The History

Leicester have crashed out of cup runs before against Leeds. The biggest was a 6-0 masterclass by Robbie Keane in 2001 at Filbert Street. His hat-trick on that October night meant the previous years champions would not see Wembley three years running.

The Prediction

The whole of Leicester’s squad now has something to prove given any day now they will announce a new manager, and players currently not in the top 11 can seize this opportunity to fight for a starting spot. A thumping three or five goal victory wouldn’t be a surprise given the quality on the bench, but that depends on how much the caretaker wants to rotate. I think a late winner from Mahrez off the bench leads the Foxes to the next round with 3-2 as the result.