Leicester City will look to build on their recent victory against West Ham United when they welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to the King Power Stadium this afternoon.
The Foxes have entered a new era with legendary striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy at the helm. Although they won 3-1 against the Hammers on Tuesday, the scoreline does not reflect the amount of chances Julen Lopetegui’s side had. Brighton are competing for a Champions League spot this season and will be a difficult team to beat.
Leicester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Match Details
Date: December 8, 2024
Time: 14:00 GMT
Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Team News
Ricardo Pereira, Harry Winks, and Abdul Fatawu are sidelined due to injuries and will miss the match along with Facundo Buonanotte, who is ineligible to face his parent club.
The visitors also have a lengthy list of absentees, with Jack Hinshelwood, Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner, Adam Webster, and Solly March unavailable for selection.
Leicester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Match Preview
Van Nistelrooy won his first match in charge of Leicester, defeating a struggling West Ham earlier this week. Defensive problems have persisted for the Foxes in the Premier League this season, and the Hammers will wonder how they only scored one goal at the King Power. The visitors enjoyed 31 shots and some clear-cut chances to score but couldn’t convert. The Foxes boss will make it his priority to shore up the backline.
Brighton are an aggressive pressing side and will make things extremely difficult for Leicester when they have the ball. Against West Ham, Van Nistelrooy set up his side to be more counter-attacking than possession-oriented, and a similar approach can be expected against Brighton.
Facundo Buonanotte is ineligible to play against his parent club and his absence is a big blow for Leicester. The Argentine has been outstanding this season but will be forced to watch this game from the stands. However, the performance of youngster Bilal El Khannouss as an attacking midfielder against West Ham makes Buonanotte’s absence slightly less severe. The Moroccan had an excellent game on Tuesday, recording a goal and an assist, and will aim to replicate that performance against Brighton.
Leicester are winless in their past four Premier League meetings against Brighton and will hope Van Nistelrooy’s tactics can inspire them to break that run. However, with the Seagulls fifth in the league standings, the Foxes are the underdogs but have every chance of walking away with something this afternoon.
Leicester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Predicted Starting Lineups
Leicester City predicted lineup: Mads Hermansen, James Justin, Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Victor Kristiansen; Boubakary Soumare, Wilfred Ndidi, Bilal El Khannouss; Kasey McAteer, Jamie Vardy, Stephy Mavididi
Brighton and Hove Albion predicted lineup: Bart Verbruggen; Tariq Lamptey; Igor Julio; Lewis Dunk; Pervis Estupinan; Matt O’Riley; Carlos Baleba; Yankuba Minteh; Georginio Rutter; Kaoru Mitoma; João Pedro.
