Liam Kelly previews the second FA Cup semi-final, expecting an entertaining match-up despite the stakes involved.
Football betting tips: Leicester v Southampton
1.5pts Over 3.5 Goals at 12/5 (BetVictor)
1pt Leicester to win in Extra Time at 9/1 (SkyBet)
Both Leicester and Southampton enter their FA Cup semi-final tie at Wembley Stadium on the back of suspect performances in the Premier League.
The Foxes made the scoreline close against fellow Champions League-chasers West Ham with two late goals from Kelechi Iheanacho, but they were second-best for much of the 3-2 defeat despite the need for a solid result.
On the other hand, Southampton were hammered 3-0 by 19th-placed West Brom on Monday, putting in a dismal display before the biggest game of their underwhelming season.
Whether the Saints had eyes on this match-up instead of focusing on the task at hand is up for debate, but it was a strong line-up that started at The Hawthorns, making their preparation far from ideal.
Southampton struggling
Ralph Hasenhüttl's side were a complete mess defensively, conceding 3 goals from 3.07 expected goals (xG) against a team that were an historically bad attacking unit earlier in the campaign.
Leicester have hardly been a beacon of solidity at the back recently, too, making OVER 3.5 GOALS an interesting bet at the surprisingly high price of 12/5.
A place in the FA Cup final is available, and although teams are often reluctant to be expansive with so much at stake, I don't think that will happen here. Even if that is the case, it only takes one goal to bust a match of this magnitude wide open.
Brendan Rodgers is likely to reinstate James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury back into the squad after being left out against West Ham due to a breach in Covid-19 protocols.
That added depth will be a huge boost to a side that are once again clinging onto a top-four place in the league while chasing cup glory.
Not only does the return of those players add depth, but it also adds quality, and Leicester definitely have the edge there, sitting 20 points better off than Southampton in the Premier League table.
However, the Saints are more than capable of keeping things close in a one-off tie, so the 9/1 available for LEICESTER to push on if it remains all square after 90 minutes and WIN IN EXTRA TIME looks good value to me.
Let's hope both Leicester and Southampton don't let an ideal opportunity to make an FA Cup final go to waste by approaching the game negatively.
Leicester v Southampton best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Over 3.5 Goals at 12/5 (BetVictor)
- 1pt Leicester to win in Extra Time at 9/1 (SkyBet)
Score prediction: Leicester 2-2 Southampton (Sky Bet odds: 14/1)
Odds correct at 1830 BST (16/04/21)
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