The Fosse Way

Team

Leicester City XI: Donohue; Aluko, Amartey, Ali, Cover; Neale, Page; Thomas, Briggs, Richards; Evans.

Subs: Gray, French, Donnelly (78’), Golding (60’), Pennant (70’), Wanya-Marcal Madivadua (60’), Popov (70’).

Setup

As has often been the case recently, Leicester deployed a 4-4-2 out of possession shape but looked to jump and press collectively high in the right moments. Briggs frequently used the left centre-back receiving the ball as his trigger to press intensely, joining Evans in a front two. Interestingly, despite being left-footed and often deployed as a left-sided number 8 for Leicester, Briggs operated in the right half-spaces all evening.

Page and Neale formed a partnership throughout the first half, with Page nominally on the left but positioned slightly higher. Several instructions from the Leicester dugout reflected this dynamic: Neale was told to stay tight to Valencia’s number 10 Cerda, allowing Page to push higher. Page was also asked to cover Briggs’ space in midfield when the latter stepped forward towards the centre-backs, triggering the whole team to demonstrate aggression and push high to win possession in dangerous areas.

On the ball, Leicester – as is common in both the academy and the first team – built up with a 3-2 structure. Aluko, the freer of the two full backs, advanced forward, while Cover was more involved in playing out from the back. Aluko’s strength and width allowed Thomas to drive inside, while Page and Neale dropped to receive off the centre-backs in the first phase of buildup.

This represented a slightly different role for Page compared to his first team appearances this season, where he has featured as a Number 10, pressing alongside the striker and linking play higher up the pitch. Here, he was more of an all-action midfielder: covering ground to win the ball, progressing it forward, and arriving late in attacking areas to support Leicester’s forward play. His role also varied as the game went on. At times, Page dropped into a left-back position when Cover stepped into central areas.

After 25 minutes, Leicester tweaked their shape, moving Cover inside to invert alongside Neale, with Page playing higher up the pitch in possession. This change coincided with the Foxes enjoying a few more phases of settled play. At times, Leicester switched to a 2-2 first phase buildup structure, with Cover inside and Aluko in an attacking line of six which included both Briggs and Page dropping into pockets to connect play.

Page was just one of several players whose senior experience was clear to see. This Leicester side looks physically strong and increasingly comfortable on the ball. Six of the starting XI and three substitutes – nine of the 16 players involved in total – have first team experience, either on loan or for the first team at Leicester. All look hungry to prove their worth and push back into first team contention wherever opportunities may arise.

Match events

The visitors looked to assert themselves in the game from the off, and Leicester faced an early scare within two minutes. Dominguez weaved away from surrounding bodies and set Cerda through, but his touch sent the ball narrowly wide before a coming together with goalkeeper Donohue.

Any hopes that this would be a one-off chance rather than a sign of things to come were quashed just two minutes later with Valencia’s opener. Ali received the ball from Cover and looked to drive inside, but his heavy touch saw him dispossessed by Fernandez. The 17-year-old Valencia winger drove inside and curled an effort into the far corner to give the visitors first blood.

The game then settled into a pattern. Both sides were intense and energetic in their play, but neither could create significant chances by breaking down the other in possession. The vocal Amartey and captain Aluko had impressive interventions at this stage of the game – Amartey spraying some accurate long balls and Aluko excelling at ball-winning.

Leicester grew into the game, and their first chance came in the 20th minute. Cover sent the ball across goal following a Page cross, finding Amartey whose header flew narrowly over. A key theme throughout was chances arriving in clusters, and this phase of the game was no different. Almost immediately, Fernandez had a low volley from outside the area smartly parried by Donohue. Fernandez, along with Cerda in the advanced midfield roles, were constant thorns in Leicester’s side all evening, demonstrating impressive spark and creativity for the visitors.

Just as it looked as though the half would fizzle out, Valencia doubled their lead on the stroke of the interval. Evans – who struggled to significantly impact the game throughout the first half – lost out in the air from a Donohue long ball. A deft flick from Dominguez found Cerda, who fired a near-post finish off the woodwork. Leicester were left frustrated to be punished again, two goals down at the break.
The second half began in frantic fashion. In the 48th minute, Cover sliced a wayward clearance into the path of Okai, who drove away from Aluko and expertly curled home a Valencia third from outside the box.

Less than two minutes later, the young Foxes responded in fine style. Thomas played a ball through to Aluko, with the Leicester right-back racing to keep it in play down the right flank and lifting a first-time cross into the box. Richards arrived to control a wonderful volley past Joau, giving Leicester a glimmer of hope with 40 minutes still to go. It was a thrilling start to the half – and game on.
The game really opened up, and Valencia should have had a fourth almost immediately, but for an outstanding Donohue save denying Dominguez at close quarters.

The following 20 minutes were calmer, with several changes for both sides breaking up the flow. Louis Page played an hour before being replaced by Golding, whilst Wanya-Marcal, Pennant, Popov and Donnelly also featured in the second half.
In the 65th minute, Briggs played a lovely one-two with Wanya-Marcal, continuing his run but firing a powerful shot into the side netting. Ten minutes later, Amartey also went close, marginally missing the target from a low Neale corner delivery.

As the game drew to a close, Valencia looked in control. Donohue was twice called into action late on – including once in stoppage time – before the referee’s final whistle confirmed Valencia as ultimately deserving winners at Seagrave.

In summary, Leicester were undone by errors for the goals but otherwise pressed well and were not easy to play through. It wasn’t their neatest or most complete performance, but it was full of energy, with encouraging signs and some strong individual displays.

The young Foxes have another quick turnaround and are next in action on Friday night, as they welcome Ipswich to Seagrave in PL2 for a 7pm kick off.

Performances

With Marti Cifuentes, Xavi Calm, Andy King and Andy Hughes all watching on, the academy had every reason to try and impress – and many of them did with their play. A number of other academy players from across the age groups, including Lorenz Hutchinson and Jeremy Monga, were also in attendance on the night at Seagrave.

Tommy Neale was neat and tidy on the ball, often shimmying through challenges with composure and impressive close control. Amartey was strong both physically and in the air, as he often is. And Logan Briggs brought his usual energy and pace, showing rapid speed on a couple of occasions and a – dare I say it – Dewsbury-Hall like tenacity throughout.

Richards produced some brilliant runs and, of course, a fine goal, but his final ball was inconsistent at times in the second half. Whether down to decision-making or execution, there were moments in the final third where this improvement could polish his game and unleash his potential as a real attacking threat.

Remember the name

Aluko once again showed his quality – physically strong, quick, two-footed, and positionally aware. There are still raw edges to his game, but the foundations are clear for a player of real promise. “Bade” gets my shout for this game’s “remember the name” feature.

Some may regard this a bit of a cop-out from me, given that he’s already made his first team and Premier League debut against Bournemouth and is very much on the fans’ radar, but the attention is for good reason. He continues to show why he is one of the most exciting prospects in this golden crop of academy stars.