Leicester City booked their place in the second round of the Carabao Cup taking a 2-0 victory away at Burton Albion. Here are three things we learned from the game.
Strength in depth in the Leicester City squad
Just looking at the bench against Coventry City it was clear that the quality the Foxes’ squad possesses is there and this game showed that even further.
Enzo Maresca was able to make seven changes to the side that started the opening day of the season, not that any difference showed.
To be able to bring in proven Premier League talents like James Justin, Marc Albrighton and Kelechi Iheanacho just shows the quality Maresca has at his fingertips.
Tactical setup at Leicester City this season
The formation and identity of Leicester has changed under Maresca who is instilling his vision on his new side.
A very fluid set up which is able to line-up as a four or a five at the back, allowing for changes to be made during games depending on the flow of play.
Against the Brewers, the midfield was packed out and this is where the battle had to be won.
Keeping 76% possession fills the Italian coach’s remit, using their time on the ball to get forward and create chances. 13 shots racking up 1.27 expected goals is a positive sign.
Trust in youth
With James McAteer and Wanya Marcal-Madivadua being involved in the first two games at 21 and 20 respectively, is a good sign of things to come.
Marcal-Madivadua started at the Pirelli and had a positive performance overall. Despite being a more offensive minded player, he won 62% of his duels and recovered the ball six times.
All this while making three successful dribbles forward, taking two shots and completing 90% of his passes. The latter being a big part of his new manager’s remit.
With a trust in Leicester’s academy products, this could be a positive season for those coming through the ranks at Park Hill.