Leicester City vs Spartak Moscow

King Power Stadium is the venue as Leicester City and Spartak Moscow go head-to-head in a crunch UEFA Europa League Group C encounter.

Leicester turned a 2-1 half-time deficit into a stunning 4-3 away victory over Spartak Moscow in the reverse fixture last time out to get off the mark in the Europa League following a two-game winless start to their Group C campaign (D1, L1). Though a 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal over the weekend piled more pressure on Brendan Rodgers, the ‘Foxes’ will turn to their free-scoring home form for inspiration. Before being held goalless to Arsenal, the Premier League giants had netted 2+ goals in four consecutive matches at the King Power Stadium across all competitions. Since returning to European football in 2016/17, the Midlands outfit racked up seven wins in their first eight home games across major European competitions (D1). But they have since failed to win their subsequent two such match-ups (D1, L1).

In the meantime, none of Spartak’s three Europa League fixtures this season have ended level (W1, L2), with two of those matches seeing the winner on the day come from behind to claim the three points. Action-packed second-half football has highlighted Spartak’s last two Europa League outings, with each seeing 3+ goals and both teams scoring beyond half-time. Worryingly, though, since winning their first four European travels to England, the Russian heavyweights have gone winless in their subsequent six UEFA-sanctioned visits to the country (D1, L5). Having outscored Napoli on the road on Matchday 2, Spartak could put together two consecutive away wins in major European competitions for the first time since 2011. But a humiliating 7-1 away defeat to Zenit St Petersburg over the weekend suggests that prospect is far-fetched.