A place in the FA Cup quarter-finals will be on the line when Bournemouth host Leicester City at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday.
The FA Cup is back with a rare midweek round of fixtures with the fifth round of the 2023/24 edition. The latest stage kicked off on Monday, but the action on Tuesday gets underway when Bournemouth and Leicester City lock horns at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth progressed to the FA Cup fifth round after beating EFL Championship clubs in the previous stages, eking out a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers before cruising to a 5-0 victory over Swansea City in the fourth round. But the Cherries are going through a horrendous run, failing to win their last seven games in the Premier League.
As for Leicester City, they have also lost form heading into Tuesday’s clash. The Foxes have lost what seemed like an insurmountable lead atop the EFL Championship table after losing back-to-back games, the latest coming against title rivals Leeds United. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca’s men also beat Championship clubs in the previous rounds, beating Millwall and Birmingham City to reach the fifth round.
Bournemouth came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 the last time they hosted Leicester City at the Vitality Stadium. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Leicester City on Tuesday, the Bournemouth manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
The good news is Philip Billing has served his suspension and will be in contention to feature on Tuesday. But Max Aarons (hamstring), Ryan Fredericks (calf), James Hill (ankle), Lloyd Kelly (groin), and Tyler Adams (thigh) remain on the sidelines.
Iraola should make a few changes to the starting eleven on Tuesday, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Leicester City. Mark Travers will be the first shuffle, replacing Neto between the sticks. As for the backline, there is no looking past Adam Smith, Illia Zabarnyi, Marcos Senesi, and Milos Kerkez.
Meanwhile, the midfield unit should not see a change either, with Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie pairing up in the double pivot. But Alex Scott should replace Justin Kluivert in the advanced position. Dango Ouattara and Luis Sinisterra should come into the team as the wide attackers, with Dominic Solanke spearheading the Bournemouth attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Travers; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Ouattara, Scott, Sinisterra; Solanke
Leicester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Bournemouth dugout, Enzo Maresca barely has any issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Vitality Stadium. The Leicester City manager will be without two first-team players on Tuesday.
Wilfred Ndidi is a certain absentee as he continues to recover from his leg injury. In addition, Jamie Vardy will likely miss the game due to a knock. Otherwise, Maresca has a fully fit squad this midweek.
Jakub Stolarczyk should start instead of Mads Hermansen between the sticks, with Leicester City lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him. The central defensive unit should feature Ben Nelson, Conor Coady, and Callum Doyle. Meanwhile, Brandon Cover and Yunus Akgun should be the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Hamza Choudhury and Dennis Praet should pair up in the double pivot, looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Patson Daka will likely lead the line for Leicester City, with Marc Albrighton and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku being the two wide attackers for the home side.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Stolarczyk; Nelson, Coady, Doyle; Cover, Choudhury, Praet, Akgun; Albrighton, Daka, Fatawu
Key Stats
- Tuesday’s clash will be the first-ever FA Cup clash between Bournemouth and Leicester City. The Cherries have won their last three clashes against the Foxes in all competitions, more than they had in their previous meetings (W2 D5 L6).
- When playing outside the top flight, Leicester City have won only one of their last seven FA Cup matches against Premier League clubs (D2 L4), beating Norwich City 2-1 in the fifth round in 2011/12.
- Bournemouth will look to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the third time ever, previously doing so in 1956/57 and 2020/21. They were on the wrong side of the result the only time they were in the fifth round as a top-flight outfit in the competition, going down 2-0 against Everton in 2015/16.
- Leicester City have failed to find the back of the net in only one of their last 22 FA Cup matches (W17 D0 L5), a 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 season.
- Bournemouth’s eight FA Cup goals this season have come from eight different players. They saw four players both scoring and assisting a strike in the 5-0 win over Swansea City in the fourth round.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
Patson Daka was an option for this section, but we have zeroed in on Dominic Solanke as the player to watch for Tuesday’s game. The English striker has enjoyed an excellent 2023/24 campaign thus far, leading Bournemouth’s charge in every competition.
So, it is hardly surprising that several clubs are keen on signing him, with West Ham United ready to break their transfer record to secure his services. He now needs to step up amid Bournemouth’s faltering form in the last few weeks. Expect the 26-year-old to rise to the occasion this midweek.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Leicester City
Both teams will make a few changes to their starting elevens on Tuesday, meaning a keenly contested affair is on the cards. In addition, with Leicester City and Bournemouth losing form in their last few games, nerves will be high as they look to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The match should go down the wire, and a stalemate is not out of the question. But Dominic Solanke should show his quality to deliver the goods for the home side. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.