Leicester City vs Manchester City, EFL Cup Quarterfinals: Team News, Preview and Prediction

Competition/Round: 2018/19 EFL “Carabao” Cup – Quarterfinals

Date/Time: Leicester City vs Manchester City – Tuesday, 18 December 2018, 19:45 (UK & Nigeria); 14:45 EST, 11:45 PST (USA); 23:45 IST (India)

Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, United Kingdom

Match Officials:

Referee: Lee Mason

Assistants: Harry Lennard, Matthew Wilkes

Fourth Official: Stuart Attwell

VAR: Graham Scott, Derek Eaton

TV Info: N/A

Live Stream: ESPN+ (USA)

Radio: LCFC Radio (UK)

Preview:

The EFL “Carabao” Cup is back underway. Leicester City will host Manchester City in the competition’s quarterfinals.

Coincidentally, these two teams met one another at this stage of the competition last season. Manchester City dominated the majority of the match and took an early lead. A Jamie Vardy penalty in the 90 minute, however, halted Manchester City’s advancement and it was only through the heroics of Claudio Bravo in a penalty shootout that saw his side advance to the competition’s semifinals.

This time the Foxes will look for revenge. Leicester will hope to draw lessons from City’s matches against Olympique Lyonnais and Chelsea, the only sides to have defeated City this season, as the Foxes look to upset the current champions of England.

Meanwhile, current Carabao Cup holders City will look to advance to the semifinals as they travel to Leicester on Tuesday.

Team News:

Leicester City are without Daniel Amartey, who is recovering from a broken ankle injury.

Manchester City are without the injured Claudio Bravo, Benjamin Mendy and David Silva. Danilo and Sergio Agüero are in doubt. It is also predicted Riyad Mahrez will request not to play against his former side, given the unexpected passing of former Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Possible Lineups:

Leicester City

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Mendy, Ndidi; Albrighton, Ghezzal, Gray; Vardy

Manager: Claude Paul

Manchester City

Formation: 4-3-3

Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; B. Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Sterling, Jesus, Sané

Manager: Pep Guardiola

Prediction:

Leicester City have struggled this season. The Foxes are in twelfth place in the English Premier League table, having won only six of their 17 matches. Nonetheless, they have found themselves in the Carabao Cup’s quarterfinals and will see this as an opportunity to win a trophy this season. The odds are heavily stacked against them, but stranger things have happened. After all, they famously won the EPL 2015/16 trophy at 5000/1 odds.

Manchester City, however, have been their dominant self this season. Apart from their losses against Olympique Lyonnais and Chelsea this season, the Blues have won 20 and drew three of their 25 matches this season. City are also averaging roughly two goals per game.

Therefore, given their current form this season, it is difficult to go against the visitors. The home side will give it their all, but ultimately the Blues will be too much for the Foxes.

Leicester City 0-2 Manchester City