Fulham FC vs Leicester City, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Fulham FC vs Leicester City Match Prediction & Analysis

After paying a visit to Manchester in the opening round of Premier League 2024–25, it's time for Fulham to head back home and start preparing for the upcoming battle against the club from the East Midlands.  

Fulham's visit to Manchester did not end well, as they lost the game after conceding a late goal in the 87th minute. The victory is hardly surprising for a team that had a difficult season away from home last year. However, back at home, where they won nine of their 13 games last season, the Cottagers will be confident of securing all three points against the recently promoted Leicester City.

In contrast, Leicester City had a fruitful outing in their opening match against the much-fancied Tottenham Hotspur at home. Despite falling behind by a goal in the 29th minute of the game, they managed to keep the Spurs at 1-1. Jamie Vardy, the veteran, was the man of the moment, scoring the equaliser for the Foxes. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Fulham FC Preview

The Cottagers are back at the Cottage Craven. They won nine games last season and gained 47 points, while 29 of those came at home. Once again, the fans will expect nothing but positive results from Marco Silva and co. at home. However, the game against Manchester United revealed several flaws in the team that could be cause for concern in the future.

 The biggest concern they faced in their game against United was defending. In reality, they should have conceded more than one goal, as United missed four clear-cut chances, two of which came in the first half alone. They concluded the encounter with an xGA of 2.04, which is the fourth poorest in the league after the first round of matches. 

The second concern was, of course, the lack of opportunities created. They ended up with only two shots on goal and no big chances created. However, there were some positives, with Andreas Pereira (6 vital passes) and keeper Leno (two crucial saves) enjoying strong performances.

Marco Silva will want his team to perform far better on both fronts on Saturday. Especially by Antonne Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz. Robinson, one of the league's greatest offensive fullbacks, struggled to make an impact upfront as he was forced to defend the backline more. 

Meanwhile, Muniz, who scored nine goals last season, including seven at home, is expected to lead them again under Silva's 4-2-3-1 configuration. But Muniz requires more opportunities, which may compel Marco Silva to play Tom Cairney, who impressed in his limited time on the field last game. 

Fulham FC Starting Lineup - Leno (Goalkeeper); Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson (Defenders); Pereira, Lukiċ; Adama, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi (Midfielders); Muniz (Forward) 

Leicester City Preview

Outside of play, it hasn't been a good week for Leicester City. As per some reports released this week, the Foxes are accused of a couple of financial breaches, which could lead to the authorities slapping them with two separate point deductions. 

For most of the game against Manchester United, Leicester City appeared to be under pressure. Particularly in the initial half, Leicester City managed just one shot on goal and trailed by a goal. However, the second half was different, as they became more aggressive, posing threats on the counterattack and scoring a goal through Vardy. 

Overall, the Foxes had just roughly 30% of the possession in the game, but they produced the same number of big chances as Tottenham Hotspur, finishing with an xG of 1.06 to 1.18 for the Spurs. 

Cooper will be concerned by the Spurs' 70 final-third entries compared to his team's 34. Nonetheless, he will be happy with the efforts of his attacking combination, Jamie Vardie and Abdul Fatawu Isshaku. With the experienced Dewsbury-Hall no longer on the team, Fatawu naturally took on the responsibility of generating chances up front. And to his credit, he has not disappointed. 

 In terms of changes to the starting eleven and injuries, the Foxes will be without Patson Daka, Conor Coady, Luke Thomas, and Jakub Stolarczyk, while new signing Oliver Skipp, a defensive midfielder from Tottenham, could be called in as a substitute. Meanwhile, Cooper is unlikely to make any changes to his 4-2-3-1 shape.

Leicester City Starting Lineup - Hermansen (Goalkeeper); Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen (Defenders); Winks, Ndidi,Fatawu, Buonanotte, Decordova-Reid (Midfielders) ; Vardy (Forward) 

FULHAM FC vs LEICESTER CITY
Winning Prediction

Aside from Fulham's outstanding home record, the Cottagers hold an advantage over the Foxes due to their recent success against their opponents. Fulham has won three of the last five meetings between the teams, including a 5-3 victory over Leicester at Craven Cottage.

Leicester, on the other hand, will be hoping to emulate their EFL Championship record from last season, when they won 14 of their 23 away games. However, they have won only one of their last six away games. Nonetheless, there is a significant difference in quality between the two divisions, and Leicester will have another difficult challenge.

Fulham Fc to win (2-1)

1xBet

330% up to ₹65,000 on your 1st Deposit with Reg Code: TOPBK

BET NOW