Justin spectacular and Tielemans masterstroke help Leicester ease past Stoke
A James Justin wonder goal and a special Youri Tielemans moment helped Leicester City to a 4-0 thumping of Stoke City in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Justin’s tasty curling effort rewarded the visitors for their early pressure in a first half largely dominated by the Foxes.
The second half ran out in the same manner, Mark Albrighton grabbing his first goal of the season and his team’s second of the afternoon largely thanks to a superb Tielemans assist.
Ayoze Perez put the icing on the cake, finishing off a slick move on 79 minutes before Harvey Barnes slammed home from a poor clearance moments later to make it four.
The tone for the game was set early on when Harvey Barnes fired his effort through the legs of James McClean to force 20-year-old goalkeeper Joe Bursik into a smart stop.
However, it should have been Stoke that struck first blood. A lovely cushioned header fell for Sam Vokes just eight yards out but he somehow skewed his effort well wide of the mark.
In an open game, Justin’s beauty broke the deadlock in some style on 34 minutes as Leicester took control of the tie. Not long after, Dennis Praet’s low ball found Barnes in the box but Bursik was there to produce a point-blank stop the keep the score down.
Leicester’s pressure continued right up until the half-time whistle as they went into the break a goal to the good.
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Completing the job
The away side picked up where they left off at the start of the second period. Tielemans pulled the strings to allow Leicester’s wide men to run riot amidst the Stoke defence.
Just before the hour mark the Foxes finally doubled their advantage. Tielemans’ pinpoint cross-pitch through ball found Mark Albrighton who cut inside on his left to buy him enough time to fire past Bursik.
In response, the Potters brought on new signing Rabbi Matondo who arrived from Schalke on loan this week. However, despite this, the hosts never really troubled Kasper Schmeichel and were made to pay.
Wonderful link-up play from Leicester ended with Perez sliding home a third just over ten minutes from time. It was then soon 4-0 when Barnes latched onto an awkward clearance to fire home a deserved goal to round off a fantastic display.
The only blemish on the day for the Foxes was the injury to Praet who was forced off towards the end clutching his hamstring.
Leicester progress through to the fourth-round of the FA Cup for the fourth time in five years.