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Leicester City 10th (12-5-14) vs Bournemouth 12th (11-5-15)
Saturday at 11 AM ET on NBC Sports Gold
While Bournemouth had a whirlwind finish against Newcastle United to end 2-2, Leicester was doling out their own last minute drama against Burnley to win 2-1. Both sides have seen their fare share of good and bad form, but Leicester should be mindful of their last meeting that ended in a 4-0 defeat.
The Opposition
The Cherries season has been up and down, but that has become quite the norm under manager Eddie Howe. They always start well and surprise opposition, particularly those in the top six, but seem to always find themselves mid table or a lower near the end of a campaign. That isn’t to say they shouldn’t be feared come Saturday. Ryan Fraser destroyed the Foxes last time out, and he will be one of many threats facing a Leicester defense without Harry Maguire.
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Bournemouth have only been shutout once in their last five matches, scoring six goals along the way. A 1-0 loss to Manchester City was a nice result compared to the 5-1 drubbing they’d received the week before to Arsenal. Leicester will need to be strong defensively to hold this Cherry offense in check.
The Foxes
Wes Morgan’s resurgence into the heart’s of the Blue Army played out like a Phoenix rising from it’s ashes. Benched for the preferred Jonny Evans, the club captain was called upon just after four minutes of play to replace Demarai Gray and fill the centre back position for the red carded Harry Maguire.
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In other great news, Marc Albrighton may yet come back by the end of the season. Brendan Rodgers mentioned during his press conference that he’d been doing well in training and recovery and may just get a match in before the end of the season. I, like most Foxes fans, would love to see Marc back on the pitch in perfect health before the end of the season.
The Prediction
Before beating Huddersfield 2-0 away, you have to go all the way back to October against Fulham to see Bournemouth’s last win away from home. With the Foxes fired up, and the fans roaring at every turn, I like the Foxes to get a 3-1 win.