Tuesday night’s match between Leicester City and Swansea City at the King Power Stadium marks their return to Championship action after drastically different outcomes in the FA Cup’s fourth round.
The Swans were smacked by five goals against Premier League Bournemouth, while the Foxes overcame a subpar first half performance to defeat Birmingham City by three goals.
Enzo Maresca branded his team’s first 45 minutes as a disaster during his half-time debriefing on Saturday afternoon following Leicester City’s uncharacteristically poor first half performance against Tony Mowbray’s Birmingham in the FA Cup. However, a couple of changes made at the break turned the tie in the Foxes’ favour.
After James Justin and Ricardo Pereira were introduced, the hosts were able to maintain control of the game and book their spot in the fifth round. Jamie Vardy, Yunus Akgun, and Denis Praet all scored goals to secure their place in the tournament. The leaders of the second division were unable to control the match in the first period.
After losing the M69 derby against Coventry City and splitting the results with Ipswich Town last Monday, Leicester is going through a two-game losing streak in the Championship for just the second time this season. Despite this, Maresca’s team is still atop the standings, seven points ahead of Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys in second place.
The first-choice midfield for the Foxes, which includes Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Harry Winks, has the experience to compete in the Premier League. However, with the latter expected to miss some time due to injury, Maresca is eager to sign fellow Italian Stefano Sensi from Inter Milan during the January transfer window.
This season, Stephy Mavididi’s signature runs down the left wing, followed by a curling finish, have wrecked havoc for most second-tier defences. The 25-year-old is thriving in a team that is expected to return to the first division right away, having contributed 13 goals in 28 games.
