Leicester City face Walsall in a decisive EFL Trophy group match at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening. The 7pm kick-off is the final group game for both sides, with the winner guaranteed a top-two finish and a place in the knockout stage.
Leicester sit second in Group South 2 with three points, level with their visitors. A draw would lead to a penalty shootout, with the victor earning an extra point. The Foxes are aiming to build on the attacking momentum shown in a 4-2 FA Cup win over Oxford City last Friday, where Louis Page, Emil Riis, Kamari Doyle and substitute Tom Watson all found the net. The team's goal minutes in that match were 13 and 45+1. That result on Friday 6 November was a continuation of their strong recent form, which reads three wins and a draw from their last five matches.
Recent Form
The victory made it four wins from their last five matches across all competitions. They are three points off the playoff places with a game in hand. Top scorer Emil Riis has six goals this season and will be a key threat. The team has scored 22 goals while conceding 19 in the league this season, and they currently trail the leaders by 10 points. This cup fixture precedes a return to league action against Bradford City at home on Saturday 14 November, a match against a side currently seventh in the table.
Walsall arrive in third place in League Two, having lost just one of their thirteen league fixtures. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by Newport County last weekend, a result their manager Lee Grant said was deserved after his side struggled in attack. They have, however, scored first in three of their last four games, indicating a pattern of strong starts that Leicester will need to counter.
Historical Context
The sides have met 21 times competitively, with Leicester winning 14 of those encounters. Their most recent clash was a Carabao Cup tie in September 2024, which ended 0-0 before Leicester won 3-0 on penalties. A number of players have turned out for both clubs, including Matty Fryatt and Steve Claridge.
Michael Barlow will referee the match, with assistants Jake Topp and Matthew Sowerby. After this cup fixture, Leicester's focus returns to League One with a home game against Bradford City on Saturday, a key match as they look to climb the table from their current mid-table position.
