Liverpool vs Leicester LIVE: Carabao Cup result, final score and penalty shootout tonight
Relive all the action from a thrilling EFL Cup quarter-final at Anfield
Second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher saved two penalties in the shoot-out which Liverpool won 5-4 against Leicester to send them into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Substitute Diogo Jota struck the winning spot-kick - having come off the bench to score - but the real hero was Takumi Minamino who made it 3-3 with seconds remaining of six added minutes.
The visitors crumbled under the pressure exerted in the second half having twice cruised into a two-goal lead as Jamie Vardy scored his ninth and 10th goals in 14 appearances against the under-strength Reds.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain briefly made it 2-1 before a brilliant James Maddison strike restored the Foxes’ advantage.
However, the introduction of first-team reinforcements for the second half changed the dynamic as Jota and League Cup specialist Minamino, with his sixth in five appearances, forced a shoot-out. Relive all the action below:
Liverpool vs Leicester: Liverpool hoping to entertain fans
Liverpool’s assistant coach Pep Lijnders expects the team to put on a good show against Leicester tonight regardless of who is on the pitch. He believes that there will be some rotation to the starting XI but whoever takes to the pitch for the Reds will be determined to earn a positive result for the fans. About possible changes to the team, Lijnders said:
Yeah, we know we are in an intense period, so what we always do is create a line-up, we make a small plan and we prepare well. And then we want to attack matchday.
“We will focus on ourselves; we know in these intense periods we need the whole squad. We know that’s something we want – we want to be in these intense periods, we want to play these games and we really look forward to it.
“What we want is to give our fans a cup night full of desire. That’s what we did before and that’s what we want to do now. If it’s Leicester at home or AC Milan away, that’s how it works.”
Liverpool vs Leicester
Tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-final between Liverpool and Leicester is likely to see both managers rotate their squads to give their first choice players a rest during the bust festive period schedule.
This is Liverpool’s third fixture in seven days and they have another two games scheduled before the end of the year. Leicester meanwhile haven’t played since December 12th after their Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Everton were postponed last week due to rising coronavirus cases at those clubs.
Liverpool vs Leicester: Jurgen Klopp thinks festive football fixture list is ‘absurd’
Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders said on Tuesday that it was “absurd” that Liverpool have to play two games in four days given the number of Covid-19 cases and injuries at the club.
The Anfield side drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the league and will face Leicester City at home on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Both the Premier League and English Football League announced on Monday that fixtures during the busy festive period will go ahead as planned despite the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Jurgen Klopp thinks festive fixture list is ‘absurd’, says Liverpool No2 Pep Lijnders
‘It’s a much higher risk of injury,’ Lijnders said of Liverpool’s two games in four days
Liverpool host Leicester in Carabao Cup quarter-finals
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage as Liverpool host Leicester in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals tonight.
Jurgen Klopp has been left infuriated by the Premier League’s officiating and fixture scheduling in recent days, but there is no respite for his side as they aim to secure a place in the semi-finals tonight. The Reds are likely to field a heavily rotated side as Klopp seeks to protect his players, while the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, and Thiago have tested positive for Covid-19.
Leicester are juggling a host of problems themselves, though, and have not been able to play since 12 December due to a widespread outbreak of Covid within their squad. Brendan Rodgers could be without as many as 11 first-team players tonight as the Foxes seek to add to last season’s FA Cup glory.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments