Two Italian managers walk into a bar, they start having a conversation, the waiter comes around after 30 minutes for their order. The one tries to coax the other to order first, so the other can have what he’s having. Neither relent, the waiter rolls his eyes and goes away cursing under his breath.
That doesn’t make much sense, I gather, but that’s really what happens when two Italian managers come up against each other, trying to draw the other out.
Tactics or not, it will be the players out there, executing the instructions, who will make the marked difference. Here are the 3 key battles T4O believes Leicester must win to sustain their League Cup dream.
Islam Slimani vs David Luiz
The 6’1′ ton of bricks is going to come crashing down of the stylish Brazilain, David Luiz, who will be in a for a rude surprise. The defender already had a botched nose for the troubles he undertook at Stamford Bridge vs Liverpool the past week, that left him and his entire backline black along with the more traditional blue. The former Sporting Lisbon centre-forward, who already scored two goals vs Burnley, and has taken onto the blue-collared rigours of the Premier League like a whaler to high seas, will be looking to put the former Benfica defender out his misery.
Christian Fuchs vs Eden Hazard
The Austrian has shown in the past that he had Eden Hazard’s number, when the teams met before. But how much of that, you’d wonder was down to the Belgian’s poor form at the time. regardless, he’d be looking to do more of the same, and keep the Chelsea genie firmly corked up in his bottle. Liverpool highlighted a clear weakness to Eden Hazard’s game – the further you push him along the touchline, the lesser is his influence in a match. Fuchs, with his power and pace, and most certainly, coupled with his #NoFuchesGiven approach, would look to bottleneck Chelsea’s main creative threat.
Danny Drinkwater vs N’Golo Kante
Best mates turned foes for a day, N’Golo may get a frosty reception from Danny Drinkwater when the two come face to face for the first time. The pair were the bedrock on which Leicester City built their impossible (improbable) dream. On Tuesday night, however, the French international of Malian ancestry, will be looking to put sentiments and history behind him, and out to stifle Danny’s playmaking prowess in the middle. Both of them would have a full measure of the other, but, it’d be the most crucial battle that could decide who would have more of the precedence. If Leicester midfield clicks, it could prove to be a bit much for Chelsea to overcome, considering they still may be feeling the hangover of their performance vs Liverpool.
