Can Legia Warsaw also surprise Leicester?
Second matchday in the UEFA Europa League! Legia Warsaw will be looking to surprise as they did on matchday one when the Poles won at Spartak Moscow. This win was important because the group Legia is playing in is absolutely top class.
Before the Legia Warsaw vs Leicester match, the betting odds indicate that the visitors from England go into this match as favourites Leicester are clearly ahead, especially in the individual area, but the engine still stutters in one or the other phase. The start of the season was not ideal. In the European Cup, however, that often plays only a subordinate role.
Legia Warsaw hopes above all for a certain enthusiasm, which should be there after the first victory. There will also be support from the fans. Kick-off of the match is on Thursday at 18:45.
Poland Legia Warsaw – Statistics & current form
Legia Warsaw have some problems in the domestic league. Coach Czeslaw Michniewicz’s team is currently only in 15th place in the Ekstraklasa. Of course, Legia still have two games to catch up on, but even two wins won’t automatically catapult the traditional club to the top. Nine points from seven games are definitely too few for their ambitions.
They also lost 3-2 at home to Rakow at the weekend. The performances at national level are not good. That is one of the reasons why the odds of the best bookmakers point to a favourite role for the Foxes. The question, however, is whether Legia Warsaw will show its typical European Cup face again.
Because due to qualifying rounds, the Poles have already played nine games in Europe. Only one of them the team lost – 0:1 against Dinamo Zagreb. Legia Warsaw have won six of their other eight games, including their Europa League opener against Spartak Moscow.
Legia Warsaw need a top performance
The opponent definitely has it in them this time though. Legia Warsaw is the underdog for a reason but could live quite well with just this starting position. In the domestic league, the Poles often play against deep defences, which is not the case internationally. This in turn benefits the counter-attacking game. That’s why our value tip before the Legia Warsaw vs. Leicester match is that both teams will score.
In particular, the hosts are expecting something offensively. With the quick Kastrati, the powerful Pekhart and players like Josue and Andre Martins, who have a lot going for them technically, a lot should be possible, especially when spaces open up. The question marks, however, are mainly in the defensive area.
If the opponents Leicester have a good day, the Foxes should be too strong. For this reason, our prediction before the match between Legia Warsaw and Leicester is that the visitors will win this game. However, a corresponding resistance is to be expected.
Predicted Legia Warsaw line-up:
Miszta – Jedrzejczyk, Wieteska, Abu Hanna, Mladenovic – Andre Martins, Josue, Slisz – Kastrati, Rafa Lopes, Pekhart
Last matches played by Legia Warsaw:
Leicester – Statistics & current form
Last season, Leicester came through the group stages as winners on their Europa League debut, but were beaten by Slavia Prague in the first knockout round. That is expected to be different this time around. Leicester want to win the game and thus at least set the course for the knockout phase again. The FA Cup winners from England, however, must slowly find consistency.
In addition, the away record in Europe should be refreshed. Only three of 13 games away from home have been won by Leicester City in international competition Despite being favourites, the Foxes will need a very good performance because Legia can be very unpleasant and you don’t beat this team in passing.
In the new season, not everything is going right for coach Brendan Rodgers’ team. Leicester are only mid-table in the Premier League, but at least they can rely on goalscorer Jamie Vardy, who scored twice in the 2-2 draw with Burnley FC at the weekend.
Leicester will be looking to live up to their status as favourites
Some elements of the Foxes’ game still need to find their feet, with several players arriving in the summer. In any case, there have not yet been two victories in a row in the new season. Against Manchester City (0:1), for example, a good performance was not enough for a point, while the Foxes won against Wolverhampton and Norwich. Seven points from six league games are average at best.
However, the opening 2-2 draw against Napoli showed that on a good day Leicester can play extremely good football. However, such performances need to be delivered more often. Before the Legia Warsaw vs. Leicester match, our tip is that the visitors will manage to bring their quality onto the pitch this time and win the match because of it.
Since the programme is not without its problems at the moment, Leicester could rotate a little in this match. The squad is actually very well-stocked across the board, which could be an advantage. Players like Choudhury or Ayoze are eager to prove themselves. The same goes for newcomer Daka, who has not really arrived yet either.
Predicted Leicester line-up:
Schmeichel – Pereira, Vestergaard, Evans, Bertrand – Soumaré, Choudhury, Maddison – Barnes, Ayoze, Vardy
Last matches played by Leicester:
Legia Warsaw – Leicester Direct Comparison / H2H Record
For the first time in their history, these two teams are playing against each other in a direct match. Therefore, a direct comparison record does not exist to date.
Poland Legia Warsaw – Leicester Tip
Legia Warsaw will be hoping for a surprise against Leicester, but the odds from the best bookmakers rate this chance as rather low. The Foxes are the favourites, even if the consistency of the Premier League club is still missing this season. Individually, Leicester is in any case better staffed.
This individual class can make the difference in such a match and is at least a major factor in the outcome of the game. Therefore, before the Legia Warsaw vs Leicester match, our tip is that the visitors will walk off the pitch as winners