Zorya Luhansk welcome Leicester to Slavutych Arena in Group G of 2020-21 UEFA Europa League.
Victory will see Zorya keep their fading qualification hopes alive whilst Leicester are already through and can confirm their progress as group winners with a win.
Team News
Vitalii Vernydub is ruled out for Zorya through suspension after picking up his second yellow card of campaign during last week’s win over AEK Athens.
Leicester welcome Ricardo Pereira (knee), Caglar Soyuncu (muscle) and Wilfred Ndidi (adductor) back after various periods of absence across recent months.
Timothy Castagne (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked whilst Daniel Amartey remains absent indefinitely with his own hamstring injury.
Stat Attack
- Zorya Luhansk lost their only previous meeting against Leicester, losing 3-0 at the King Power Stadium in October.
- Leicester are playing their first-ever away trip against Ukrainian opposition.
- Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has scored in both of their two away Europa trips this season.
Prediction
Zorya come into this game off the back of a breakthrough win with a clean sheet in Athens last week after managing to score twice in their preceding two games, despite defensively struggling which is going to be their biggest issue here against a strong Leicester team.
Brendan Rogers’ Foxes however just haven’t clicked much defensively since returning from November’s international break which is a worry, especially with a packed winter schedule rapidly kicking in now and I can see a under-strength team being fielded here unless want to wrap up the group now.
Either way, this should be a cracking match but given the Foxes’ European form this season, they should have enough to edge this and get that win to ensure that the group is totally wrapped up and can afford to rest their first team regulars next week against AEK Athens.
Prediction: Zorya Luhansk 1-2 Leicester
Result: Zorya Luhansk 1-0 Leicester