Leicester City FC emerged victorious with a 3-2 win against Southampton in a gripping league encounter at St. Mary's Stadium on 19 October 2024. The match, which kicked off at 3:00pm, saw Leicester come from behind to secure all three points in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 31,145.
Leicester City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mads Hermansen in goal. The back four consisted of James Justin on the right, Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli as central defenders, and Victor Kristiansen on the left. In midfield, Oliver Skipp and Wilfred Ndidi operated as the double pivot, providing both defensive cover and support for the attacking trio. Facundo Buonanotte played on the right, Bilal El Khannouss in the central attacking role, and Stephy Mavididi on the left, with Jamie Vardy leading the line as the lone striker.
The substitutes for Leicester included Harry Winks, Abdul Fatawu, Jordan Ayew, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who would later play pivotal roles in the match.
The game began with Southampton taking an early lead, scoring in the 8th minute through a left-footed strike from inside the box. Leicester struggled to find their rhythm as Southampton doubled their advantage in the 28th minute, again from close range, leaving the visitors trailing 2-0 at half-time.
After the break, Leicester made a tactical change, bringing on Harry Winks for Oliver Skipp in the 46th minute to add more creativity in midfield. However, the match took a turn for the worse for Leicester when Jamie Vardy received a yellow card for a bad tackle in the 52nd minute, adding to the pressure on the Foxes.
In the 59th minute, Abdul Fatawu replaced Victor Kristiansen, further altering Leicester's dynamics. Just three minutes later, Facundo Buonanotte was cautioned with a yellow card for a similar infraction. However, Buonanotte quickly redeemed himself in the 64th minute, scoring a crucial goal to ignite Leicester's comeback. He tapped in a cross from Abdul Fatawu, marking a significant moment for the Foxes.
Leicester continued to push forward, and in the 68th minute, Jordan Ayew came on for Bilal El Khannouss, adding fresh legs to the attack. The intensity of the match escalated, and Harry Winks found himself in the referee's book for a bad tackle in the 70th minute.
In a dramatic twist, Southampton were reduced to ten men in the 73rd minute after a player was shown a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity. This gave Leicester a numerical advantage, and they capitalised on it just a minute later when Jamie Vardy converted a penalty in the 74th minute, levelling the scores at 2-2.
As the match drew to a close, Leicester made their final substitution in the 88th minute, bringing on Bobby De Cordova-Reid for Stephy Mavididi. The game continued to be fiercely contested, but Leicester found a late winner in the 98th minute. Jordan Ayew scored with a right-footed shot from outside the area, assisted by Harry Winks from a corner, sealing a remarkable comeback for Leicester City.
The final whistle confirmed a thrilling 3-2 victory for Leicester City, showcasing their resilience and determination in a match that will be remembered for its dramatic twists and turns. Facundo Buonanotte's performance was particularly noteworthy, earning him the accolade of Player of the Match as Leicester City celebrated a hard-fought win.
