Leicester City have already secured promotion back to the Premier League and will host relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers on the final matchday of the season.
Blackburn Rovers are all set to hit the road to square up against newly-crowned champions Leicester City on Saturday in hopes of surviving in the English second division. They are 19th on the EFL Championship points table heading into the final fixture of the season but are still not safe. And if results do not go in their favour they could end up getting relegated.
The Foxes, who got relegated from the Premier League last season, have managed to secure an immediate promotion back to the top flight. While they did lose quite a few of their players due to relegation, their star striker Jamie Vardy has led them back to the top.
Leicester have already won the EFL Championship title with 97 points in their 45 matches, and it is going to be some atmosphere at the King Power Stadium as their fans will celebrate their return. While the match holds little significance for Leicester, a lot is riding on it for Blackburn Rovers. Meanwhile, the hosts will be eager to breach the 100-point barrier on Saturday.
The visitors are 19th with 50 points in their 45 outings. Blackburn are level on points with 20th-placed Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle (21st with 48 points) and Birmingham City (22nd with 47 points) are all within touching distance. If results do not go their way, they could end up going down to League One.
But, these situations will only come up if they fail to get a positive result against the Foxes. While it is going to be a very tough task to defeat the champions, Rovers will give it their all as they won’t want to depend on others for their survival. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
Enzo Maresca has a fully-fit squad at his disposal for the final fixture of the season. With the job already done, expect a few changes to their regular starting XI.
The home team will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mads Hermansen in goal. Hamza Choudhury and James Justin should be the full-backs for the home team, while Conor Coady and Jannik Vestergaard should feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Harry Winks will start alongside Yunus Akgun and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Stephy Mavididi will feature on the flanks for the home side. They will provide the much-needed width to their attacks, while 37-year-old Jamie Vardy will lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Choudhury, Coady, Vestergaard, Justin; Akgün, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Vardy, Mavididi
Blackburn Rovers
The visitors will be without the services of Scott Wharton, Ryan Hedges, Arnor Sigurdsson, Harry Leonard, and John Fleck. Blackburn are expected to line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Aynsley Pears in goal. The back three will be made up of Hayden Carter, Kyle McFadzean, and Dominic Hyam.
They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive support from Callum Brittain and Harry Pickering who will be the wing-backs. Sondre Tronstad and Joe Rankin-Costello will take charge as the two central midfielders.
They will look to ensure they do not allow the home team to dictate the pace of the game. Samuel Szmodics will be the attacking midfielder, and he will start behind the attacking duo of Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Pears; Carter, Hyam, McFadzean; Brittain, Tronstad, Rankin-Costello, Pickering; Szmodics; Dolan, Gallagher
Key Stats
- After suffering back-to-back defeats in the league, Leicester City have won each of their last three league games.
- Blackburn Rovers have the third-worst defence in the league. They have conceded 74 goals this term.
- The Foxes have the second-best attack in the league having scored 89 goals so far.
- The visitors have only won one out of their last five league games.
- Despite having suffered 10 defeats (4 more than 2nd placed Ipswich), Leicester have won the league with a game to go.
Player to Watch
Jamie Vardy
Age is just a number for someone like Jamie Vardy. At 37, he is still the best player for Leicester City. The former English international has featured in 36 matches this term, contributing towards 22 goals (20 goals, 2 assists). He will look to add to his tally in the final game of the season, and Blackburn Rovers will find it difficult to stop him.
Prediction
Leicester City 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
There is a lot at stake for Blackburn Rovers, while Leicester City do not really have anything to play for, with the job already done. Despite that, the Foxes will look to end the season on a high with a win and celebrate winning the EFL Championship.
While the visitors will give it their all to spoil the party and retain their place in the Championship, they will it difficult to take down the best team in the second division. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
