Wolverhampton Wanderers VS Leicester City Match Prediction
2019-01-19
12:30:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers
VS
Leicester City
Our Prediction Tip
Draw will win this match.
2019-01-1912:30:00 Draw will win this match.
Having not met since the 2012/13 Championship season, Leicester and Wolves have met twice this season with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side still yet to score. The Foxes won 2-0 in the Premier League meeting at the King Power Stadium – James Maddison scoring after a Matt Doherty own goal – before a goalless draw in the Carabao Cup third round, which eventually saw Leicester triumph 3-1 on penalties.
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Wolves will need to breach Leicester’s defence for the first time in three attempts if they are to get back to winning ways after back-to-back league defeats.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were outplayed by Manchester City on Monday night – no surprise considering they played 70 minutes with ten men – and will be keen to get back to winning ways.
Leicester have lost their last two matches, meanwhile – an FA Cup shock at Newport and defeat to ten-man Southampton last time out.
The briefly adopted 4-3-3 system is likely to be shelved – it did not even make it into the second-half against the Saints, as Leicester found themselves 2-0 down.
With Wolves’ counter-attacking, high-pressing system and the importance of wing-backs Jonny and Matt Doherty, the Foxes will need to be wary.
But they have kept Wolves out twice already this season, once in the league and once in the Carabao Cup, and so have the upper hand in that sense ahead of this Midlands derby.
They have also, for all their inconsistent form, not conceded more than once in their last six league away games, while also proving they have goals through the likes of Jamie Vardy and James Maddison to get results.
A draw between these two mid-table Midlands rivals, who both go into this game on the back of losses, could be a fair result.
Wolves’ home advantage makes them slight favourites to beat Leicester at 13/10 with Betfair and 10Bet, but the draw – at a best price of 23/10 with Bet365 – could be tempting.
Leicester have not conceded more than once in any of their last six league away games and under 2.5 goals has been set at 8/13 with 10Bet.
Both teams to score has been set at 21/20 with Bet365, Betfair and 10Bet, while a draw and BTTS is a best price of 4/1 with Bet365.
Jamie Vardy goes into the game as Leicester’s top scorer and is 9/4 with Bet365, 10Bet and 888sport to score at any time. For Wolves, Raul Jimenez is 21/10 with Betfair and Betway.
Wolves are favourites to beat Leicester City thanks to their home advantage but the Foxes have made themselves tough to beat away from home this season and they could end up cancelling each other out.
Wolves will be without suspended Willy Boly for the game against Leicester, after his sending off against Manchester City. That will mean Leander Dendoncker moves into the three man defence, and Wolves must decide whether to replace the Belgian in midfield with a direct swap for Morgan Gibbs-White or Romain Saiss, or opt for 3-4-3, where Helder Costa or Ivan Cavaleiro could come into the staring XI.
Raul Jimenez – Wolves’ Mexican striker is their top scorer so far this season, having scored his seventh goals of the campaign in the FA Cup win against Liverpool.
Ruben Neves – With rumours of a £100 million price tag on his head, the Portuguese midfielder needs to impress to live up to that billing.
Matt Doherty – After an own goal in the reverse fixture, he will want to add to this season’s three goals and four assists at the other end this time.
Wolves have lost both Premier League fixtures since the turn of the year, but did beat Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup in between. Raul Jimenez and Ruben Neves scored, either side of Divock Origi’s equaliser, to earn victory in that FA Cup tie, but Wolves lost 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace before that and then lost 3-0 to Manchester City on Monday night, after Willy Boly’s early red card.
Jonny Evans and Daniel Amartey are both out injured but Leicester will otherwise be at full strength for the trip to Molineux. Rachid Ghezzal and Demarai Gray both came on at half-time in the defeat to Southampton as the 4-3-3 system adopted was abandoned early on. Both could start this time out, with Hamza Chowdhury and Marc Albrighton contenders to drop to the bench.
James Maddison – Five goals and three assists so far in an eye-catching debut season in the top flight following his move from Norwich.
Jamie Vardy – His winning goal against Everton was his seventh goal of the season on his 20th appearance, making him the Foxes’ top scorer once again.
Rachid Ghezzal – The winger scored a great goal in the FA Cup defeat to Newport and could be on for a start against Wolves.
Jamie Vardy scored the only goal of the game as Leicester got 2019 off to a winning start at Everton, but the Foxes have lost both matches since. The first of those saw them dumped out of the FA Cup following a 2-1 defeat to Newport County, while Wilfred Ndidi scored against ten-man Southampton in the second half of last weekend’s game but the Saints held on to win 2-1.
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