Reds rue wasted chances as Foxes go through with second-half double

Leicester punished wasteful Liverpool to clinch a 2-0 win and dump the Reds out of the Carabao Cup. Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani struck in the second half after Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to capitalise on first-half dominance.

Dominic Solanke, Philippe Coutinho and Alex Oxladechamberlain missed decent chances before Liverpool wilted after the break.

They allowed Leicester to recover from what could have been a chastening first period and substitute Okazaki’s introduction – coupled with Coutinho’s withdrawal at half-time –swung the game in the Foxes’ favour.

Ben Chilwell produced an early excellent goal-saving block to deny Oxlade-chamberlain, and four minutes later Coutinho forced Ben Hamer into a smart stop when he skipped past three challenges with worrying ease.

Coutinho was the driving force and, with the hosts struggling to retain possession, constantly gifted the Reds the ball. They almost paid the price when Solanke stretched to plant Andrew Robertson’s delicious cross over from six yards.

Apart from a tame Demarai Gray strike, the Foxes were

0 Islam Slimani celebrates after scoring Leicester City’s second. disjointed and sloppy with Slimani and Ulloa redundant as an attacking force.

The relentless Reds pinned Leicester inside their own half and more bright Liverpool work saw Robertson’s drive fly across goal before Oxlade-chamberlain shot at Hamer with half an hour gone. Coutinho planted a free-kick over and Solanke then wasted Liverpool’s best opening seconds before half -time when he lobbed over from close range.

Coutinho was withdrawn at the break for 17-year-old Ben Woodburn and with the midfielder went Liverpool’s zip.

They lacked the intensity of the first half and, with Leicester becoming more combative, the hosts finally grew into the game.

Gray dragged wide before the Foxes took a 65th-minute lead through Okazaki, who had only been on the pitch 12 minutes after replacing the injured Ulloa.

Liverpool half-cleared a corner and, when it was hooked back in, Wes Morgan’s header found Iborra and he nodded down for Okazaki to find the bottom corner from 15 yards.

There was little response from the Reds, aside from Oxlade-chamberlain miscuing from 18 yards, and Leicester wrapped up the game with 12 minutes left.

Slimani had been virtually anonymous for most of the night but suddenly produced a rocket from the edge of the box, finding the top corner .