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Milton Keynes Dons – Leicester City
Just two days after the World Cup final in Qatar, the winter break is already coming to an end in England and especially for James Maddison, who was in the Middle East for the Three Lions. The round of 16 matches in the EFL Cup start on Tuesday. Maddison will play with Leicester City at Milton Keynes Dons. The Dons, from the south-eastern city of Buckinghamshire, play in the English 3rd division, EFL League One, and will therefore be underdogs on Tuesday night. However, as is well known, the cup has its own laws. In addition, the lower leagues on the island did not take a break during the World Cup, so that the hosts are in a playing rhythm and thus have a decisive advantage.
The Foxes from Leicester, on the other hand, played their last competitive match in the Premier League on 12 November. About a month and a half ago, coach Brendan Rodgers’ side won 2-0 away to West Ham United in London, and since then they have only played one test match on 10 December, which ended in a 0-0 draw with EC Troyes of France. In this match, Leicester played with a B-team, as many of the Foxes’ players were in Qatar. Whether the upcoming guests will return from the winter break with a win on Tuesday, you can read in our MK Dons – Leicester tip.
MK Dons – Leicester info:
– Date & Time: 20.12.2022, 20:45 hrs.
– Venue: Stadium MK, Buckinghamshire
– Competition: EFL Cup, Round of 16
– TV coverage: DAZN
MK Dons Form & Balance Check
In fact, Milton Keynes Dons are not the last underclass club in the round of 16. Lincoln City are also still in the starting line-up from the 3rd division. In addition, Gillingham from the 4th league will also play on Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals. Coach Liam Manning’s team beat Sutton United from the 4th division 1-0 in the 1st round and caused a real surprise in the 2nd round. On 23 August, the Dons defeated Watford FC, who were only relegated from the Premier League in the summer, 2-0. After this surprise, Morecambe from the 4th division were also beaten 2-0. Now the Buckinghamshire side face arguably the most important competitive game of the year.
Tough season
Triumph over the Hornets in the 2nd round shows that the cup always has its own laws. But the Dons are in a very difficult season, which is why this success came as all the more of a surprise. Coach Manning’s team is in a relegation place in the day-to-day business. Milton Keynes are currently 23rd in the table and second to last. In the league, the Dons are winless for five games and even won only one of the last eleven league games. This makes it all the more unlikely that Leicester will miss out on a quarter-final spot on Tuesday.
MK Dons facts & analysis
– The Dons won the first three rounds in the EFL Cup 1-0, 2-0 and 2-0.
– In the 3rd division Milton Keynes are currently in second last place in the table.
– With Watford, the Dons have already eliminated a higher-class opponent in the cup.
Leicester Form & Balance Check
Leicester City only got into the EFL Cup in the 2nd round and are very lucky to have any chance at all of progressing to the quarter-finals on Tuesday. The Foxes had to go all the way to penalties in the 2nd round at 4th Division side Stockport County, where Kiernan Dewsburry-Hall converted the decisive spot kick. The first division team solved the following task in the 3rd round very confidently with a 3-0 victory over Newport County, also from the 4th division. Therefore, the team of coach Brendan Rodgers knows the danger of underestimating an underclass opponent. Before the winter break, the Foxes won two games in a row in the Premier League. Everton and West Ham were both beaten 2-0.
Very strong record
Leicester City are not playing an easy season either. The Foxes were in a relegation spot in the Premier League for a long time, but stabilised in the last weeks before the World Cup break. In the meantime, the Foxes are in 13th place in the table. The trend is steeply upwards, as Leicester have picked up twelve points from their last five league games. Only Man City beat the Foxes 1-0, while Leeds United, Wolverhampton, Everton and West Ham were all beaten. In addition, Coach Rodgers’ team won these matches without conceding a single goal. A goal difference of 10:1 emerges from the last five league games.
Leicester facts & analysis
– Leicester only won on penalties in the 2nd round and 3-0 in the 3rd round.
– Foxes won five of their last six competitive matches.
– Since the 1-0 defeat to Man City, Leicester have won three games as a result.
Predicted line-up – last update on 18 December 2022
Probably the Dons’ most famous player is William Grigg. The striker had a song dedicated to him, “Will Grigg on fire”, during the 2016 European Championships where the now 31-year-old attacker delivered with Northern Ireland. Coach Liam Manning relies on Grigg in a 3-4-3 system.
Coach Brendan Rodgers spared some of his regular players in the 3rd round in the 3-0 win over Newport County. Since the Dons are again playing an underclass opponent, it is not unlikely that another B eleven will be allowed to play. World Cup players Maddison and Tielemans are already back in training for the Foxes.
MK Dons – Leicester Direct comparison & Statistics
The Dons have already met the Foxes 16 times. Leicester have won eight times, whereas Milton Keynes have only won six times. Two other duels ended without a winner. The last time the two clubs played each other was in the 3rd Division in 2009. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.
– Leicester last lost a game to the Dons 22 years ago.
– Milton Keynes last won against the Foxes in 2000.
– The last four duels ended 2-2, 2-0, 4-0 and 3-2 for Leicester.
