Southampton vs Leicester preview, predictions & possible XIs
Southampton will be looking to get back to winning ways when they welcome high-flying Leicester City this weekend.
Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men have failed to collect all three points in each of their previous four Premier League outings.
At home, the Saints are currently on a six-match winless streak, which includes recent back-to-back defeats against south coast rivals Bournemouth (1-3) and Chelsea (1-4).
Leiciester, meanwhile, enter matchday 10 sitting third in the Premier League. A win here for the Foxes will see them temporarily leapfrog champions Manchester City into second place.
Brendan Rodgers’ side, though, have lost their last two league matches on the road but those narrow losses came at Old Trafford (1-1) and Anfield (2-1).
Read on for our predictions, key players, TV info and team news ahead of Southampton vs Leicester.
When is Southampton vs Leicester and where can I watch live?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium
Date: Friday, 25 October 2019
Kick-off: 8:00 PM BST
TV coverage (UK): Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event.
Last five meetings: Southampton vs Leicester
12 January 2019: Leicester 1-2 Southampton (Premier League)
27 November 2018: Leicester 0-0 (6-5 pens) Southampton (League Cup)
25 August 2018: Southampton 1-2 Leicester (Premier League)
19 April 2018: Leicester 0-0 Southampton (Premier League)
13 December 2017: Southampton 1-4 Leicester (Premier League)
Aggregate Score: Southampton (WDLDL) 4-7 Leicester (LDWDW)
Ones to watch
Southampton: Danny Ings
Even at this early stage Southampton must consign themselves to another relegation battle. A key weapon in staving off such misfortune is having a reliable goalscorer, which they currently do in the guise of Danny Ings, the former Liverpool marksman is holding up his end of the bargain.
He’s scored in each of their last three Premier League outings which has seen them muster a single point. Leicester, who can be charitable, know they’ll need to keep their wits about them with Ings around.
Key stat: Danny Ings has scored 44.4% of Southampton’s goals (4/9) in the Premier League this season.
Leicester: Harvey Barnes
Brendon Rodgers has done a fine job in forging a creative wall behind lone striker Jamie Vardy with each of those midfielders capable of producing a moment from nowhere. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans have been grabbing the headlines of late, but bubbling beneath the surface is Harvey Barnes who has come alive in the Foxes’ last three Premier League outings, including a near man-of-the-match performance against Burnley.
Key stat: Harvey Barnes is Leicester’s leading goal-creator in the Premier League this season, recording three assists.
Team news
Southampton
Sam McQueen (knee) remains the only Southampton player not at Ralph Hasenhüttl’s disposal. The Austrian tactician is expected to retain the same team he fielded last time out away to Wolves which saw them collect a much-needed point.
Predicted XI: Gunn; Bednarek, Yoshida, Vestergaard; Valery, Höjbjerg, Romeu, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Ings.
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Leicester
Brendan Rodgers has no major concerns heading into Friday’s showdown in the south coast. Dennis Praet, who came off the bench in their 2-1 comeback win over Burnley, is expected to start at Ayoze Pérez’s expense.
Predicted XI: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Söyüncü, Chilwell; Ndidi; Barnes, Tielemans, Praet, Maddison; Vardy
Squawka prediction
It’s hard to see Southampton changing their fortunes here. Saints are low on confidence and Leicester, despite being modest travellers, have the tools to make it a long 90 minutes for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team.
Scoreline prediction: Southampton 1-3 Leicester
