Pereira uses his head to end Foxes’ woeful run of form
LEICESTER CITY 1 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0
RICARDO PEREIRA stepped up late on to finally see off dogged Birmingham and steer Leicester into the quarter-finals.
The Foxes were in danger of enduring fresh cup frustration after being dumped out in the Carabao Cup semi-finals by a last-gasp goal from Aston Villa.
Leicester were unconvincing for most of the first period last night, but a dominant second-half display was rewarded eight minutes from time when Pereira nodded his fourth goal of the season from Marc Albrighton’s cross.
It was the club’s first win in six games in all competitions and ended a worrying loss of form.
Despite remaining third in the Premier League, manager Brendan Rodgers, above, admitted before the game that his side were “suffering” and low on confidence.
He made just three changes from the loss at bottom-of-the-table Norwich as Albrighton, Wilfred Ndidi and Demarai Gray came in.
Leicester came flying out of the traps with James Maddison firing over and Ben Chilwell having an effort deflected just wide.
But Birmingham, who were unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions, weathered the storm and looked dangerous on the break.
Kerim Mrabti had a shot deflected wide before Lukas Jutkiewicz shot straight at Kasper Schmeichel. Jutkiewicz also flashed a low effort wide.
Pep Clotet’s underdogs carried a threat going forward while retaining a disciplined shape which made them hard to break down.
The half illustrated why Leicester, without Jamie Vardy, had not scored in three league games.
They started to turn the screw after the break, though, as Kelechi Iheanacho shot straight at Lee Camp.
Maddison then curled a free-kick into the side-netting.
He went even closer in the 68th minute with a rising left-foot shot which hit the bar. Iheanacho then had the ball in the net but his effort was chalked off for offside. The second half was all Leicester and when right-back Pereira fizzed over a cross, left-back Chilwell blasted the ball over the bar.
But they finally broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute after Albrighton did superbly on the right to beat Kristian Pedersen and chipped over a centre.
And there was Pereira on the edge of the six-yard box to glance the ball into the far corner of the net.
LEICESTER (4-1-4-1): Schmeichel 6; Pereira 8, Evans 6, Soyuncu 6, Chilwell 6; Ndidi 6 (Tielemans 61, 6); Albrighton 7, Praet 6, Maddison 8 (Choudhury 84, 6), Gray 5 (Barnes 66, 6); Iheanacho 6.
Goal: Pereira 82.
BIRMINGHAM (4-4-2): Camp
6; Colin 7, Dean 7, Clarke-Salter 7, Pedersen 7; Harding 6 (Gardner 71, 6), Sunjic 6, Kieftenbeld 6 (Montero 84, 6), Mrabti 6 (Crowley 84, 6); Jutkiewicz 6, Hogan 6.