Chapter 668: Leicester City

　　 Returning to the British Isles with the honour of the Club World Cup, Liverpool will have to participate in the intense Christmas schedule of the Premier League.
Due to the time conflict with the Club World Cup, Liverpool’s away game against Watford in the 17th round of the league will be postponed to a make-up match after the New Year. It is initially scheduled for January 5. The tired two teams will work overtime to finish the game to prevent Liverpool from delaying the impact of Liverpool players at the end of the season due to the tight schedule of the cup.
　　 After winning the World Club Cup, Liverpool had a good Christmas holiday after returning. The team had a final relaxing break, and it was about to start the most difficult New Year's schedule this year.
　　 In the first game after Christmas, Liverpool will face the challenge of Leicester City, the leading team in the standings at home.
No one had thought that this year’s Premier League would have a sudden change. The six giants collectively languished in the league. The top six had a unique super strength, but they were actually relegated by Leicester City last season. The team, completed the counter attack on the standings, and now occupy the first position in the standings.
A few weeks ago, there were still many professionals who analyzed that Leicester City’s strength was insufficient, and the main players and substitutes were not so strong. They could guarantee continued good performance and the team could not maintain the top of the standings. After all, they will be like many teams that performed well in the first half of the previous season but were weak in the later stage, and they are destined to be just "shooting stars" on the standings.
However, the reality seems to be a slap in the face. Since December, Leicester City have continued their outstanding performance. It does not seem surprising that the away win against the relegation team Swansea, but they continue to beat Chelsea at home. An away victory over Everton, known as the "seventh in the Premier League".
This wave of fairly quality three-game winning streak not only allowed Leicester City to directly take the top spot, but also had a 2 point gap with Arsenal. The most important thing was that Lecce was in the collective downturn of other giants. Manchester City is now 6 points away from third place Manchester City. With such a strong performance, Leicester City counterattacked to win a Champions League seat this year, it seems not impossible.
Ranieri, who has been in interviews since the beginning of the season, said that "the goal of the team is to relegation" has become more and more proud recently. The atmosphere in the Leicester City team is also very good, even There was also a team building activity where Ranieri paid for it and everyone had pizza together.
After Leicester City won consecutive victories and became No. 1 in the Premier League, many reporters simply joked with Ranieri during interviews, "Is Leicester City preparing to win the championship on the basis of relegation? "
　　 You need to know that in the Premier League seasons in recent years, the historical team relegation line should be able to safely relegation by scoring 40 points. Even in some seasons, 36, 37 points can also complete the relegation task.
　　 And now the league only has 17 rounds. Less than halfway through, Leicester City scored 38 points. There is no suspense about the success of relegation.
　　 According to rumors, Leicester City had already properly celebrated the completion of the season goal "success in relegation" in advance of the team gathering before Christmas.
　　 Last season, Leicester City, who was able to complete their relegation at the last minute, was thrilled. It is indeed a considerable achievement to complete the relegation before the New Year this season.
　　 And the outstanding results today, if you say that Leicester City has no ambitions in the second half of the league, that is not realistic.
　　 Ranieri explained in the press conference before the match against Liverpool that the team has updated the latest season goal, which is to strive to break the monopoly of the six giants and win a Champions League seat.
　　 As for the goal of winning the championship mentioned by some media, Ranieri denied it.
　　 After Christmas, this match between Liverpool and Leicester City is the most anticipated matchup of this round.
　　 Chelsea, who has been completely "down" this season, has no way to beat Leicester City, which is in hot form before.
　　 Everyone wants to see if Liverpool can end Leicester City's 12 unbeaten matches in all competitions.
　　 You have to know that Leicester City has only lost one game so far in the new season, and in September they lost to Arsenal, who were in hot form at the beginning of the season.
　　 Although Liverpool unexpectedly lost to Newcastle before the Club World Cup, Liverpool's recent hot state also made many people feel the momentum of the defending champion.
　　Liverpool has relied on previous consecutive victories and has returned to its state. The gap in the standings is gradually being recovered. In the second half of the league, Liverpool still has a strong competitiveness in the league.
　　 Everyone wants to see whether the young and vigorous Leicester City can cause enough trouble for Liverpool.
　　 In this game, Leicester City, who played away, still had some strengths damaged. One of the absolute cores of the team's midfielder, "Drinkwater" Drinkwater, was injured in this game.
　　 is missing, which is a big problem for the team's offensive and defensive midfielders.
　　 However, Ranieri still has a lot of hands on the player's bench.
At least these Leicester City players, no matter the main players or the substitutes, in a good team atmosphere this season, have been able to play a very good level of strength, and they are able to actively meet the requirements of Ranieri in the game. Everything depends on the team to continuously win the game.
　　 In this game, Leicester City still chose the 442 formation that he often used as a guest.
　　 The double striker is the frontcourt core Vardy and Okazaki Shinji. The counterattack threat of Vardy, a late bloomer striker, has been fully revealed this season and has become a weapon for Leicester City.
　　 And Shinji Okazaki's starting field in this game ~EbookFREE.me~ is to enhance the team's defensive ability in the midfield.
For Japanese players, who is not the top striker Shinji Okazaki, he can perform well in the Premier League and become an important rotation player in the striker of Leicester City. Naturally, he still depends on his own initiative. Ranieri's trust won by his "iron lung".
　　In the game, Shinji Okazaki can rely on his own active running and undead characteristics, which directly supports Leicester City's pressing defense in the frontcourt.
As for the midfield, even though Leicester City lacked the defense of "Drinking Water Brother" Delinworker in this game, there was a Kanter who was also unkillable in a large-scale sweep in the midfield. It will greatly affect Liverpool's midfield advancement.
With strong fighting ability in the midfield and frontcourt, Leicester City’s defense may be the biggest weakness of their team’s defense. After all, Hut and Morgan are both high school defenders with limited flexibility. Good at chasing back, for some technical teams, they will get a certain chance of passing through the ball, but Schmeichel, who played bravely in every game on the goal line, also formed the last of the "Fox City" A solid barrier effectively guarantees Leicester City's defense and can limit the opponent's offense and goals as much as possible.
Ranieri, the "tinner", found a place to realize his tactical ideals here, and also encountered a fairly correct composition of players. Leicester City can do so in the league in the new season. Smooth, because in the game, the team can do what they can do on the defensive end, can grasp their own winning opportunities.