Russell Martin came to the game with a line-up no one would have guessed, playing a back four without central defenders. The two full backs Luke Thomas and Olabade Aluko played in the central defence. The rest of the team was more or less as expected, having a balanced set up.
Looking at the Ipswich line-up on the day, we did not discover any towering players in their line-up and as expected this game was played on the floor, giving Luke Thomas and Olabade Aluko a lifeline. Both players played well and had a good game, Aluko being our Leicester man of the match.
Leicester had a good first half, creating a number of soft chances and especailly Harry Harlow showed why he is highly rated. The 18 year old had no respect and being from a PL club, he really put on a good performance. Tommy Watson and Admir Bristric showed great promise as well, working hard and lovely to see Bristric and his movement and work rate, hope he will come good going forward.
Conor Chaplin leads the team, giving them a new dimension by holding the ball and providing needed touches and passes. Sammy Braybrooke and Louis Page effectively balanced the midfield, with Page demonstrating his skills.
Ipswich had chances, but Jacub Stolarczyk made good saves to keep the score 0-0 in the first half, which Leicester should be proud of.
We exit the Carabao Cup at Portman Road.#IPSLEI | @BCGame pic.twitter.com/KzOcakLvw8
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 25, 2026
We understand that players such as Bristric and Chaplin had to leave the field, but as they did and was replaced by Cullen and Reid, things changed. It took just seconds for Ipswich to score, Norwegian Valle Egeli scoring their first goal. Leicester being outbalanced by those changes and giving Ipswich too much space.
The game opened up, and just five minutes later, Bobby De Cordova-Reid header, helped by Olabade Aluko, made it possible for Leicester to level, this happened after 68 minutes.
Then just minutes later a weak pass in the back, was picked up by Ipswich and they used it to their advantage, scoring an easy goal. From that time on, Ipswich made the most out of their quality against a teared apart Leicester team, players being thrown in to positions and were all over. A lot of mess made by Russell Martin with changes done to possibly rest players, but the team had suddenly no structure at all.
Then in stoppage time, the humiliation became complete as Ipswich midfielder Marcelino Nunez, possibly the best player on the field, takes a long-range shot that hits the net. Leicester goalkeeper Jacub Stolarczyk fails to reach the ball, looking like a clown, completely out of his depth and not knowing how far to come off his line.
Leicester played a good game for an hour, as fast as the substitutions were made, things fell apart. Louis Page, Olabade Aluko and Conor Chaplin stood out. Great plus also to Admir Bristric.
No hope for anything today, but some fun for an hour, the rest was as expected, again being on the losing side, that kills confidence and how the three goals were conceded makes it easy to go after Russell Martin who looks to dictate this silly passing game inside your own half, and if that continues for much longer, he will be crusified by the Leicester City fans.
Positives
First hour of the game was brilliant, Bristric, Aluko and Page playing fantastic, Harlow also very positive
Aluko scoring a nice goal, equaling to 1-1
Negatives
What we watched in the first half was a team playing on the edge, as the passing went well, but far too risky approach who could have gone terribly wrong early on
Jacub Stolarczyk played a good first half, but his errors in the second makes it difficult to trust him
Again losing a football game on stupid mistakes
Not having a proper alternative up front when taking off Admir Bristric
Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Liam Cullen can’t play as a striker pair, looks pathetic
Line Up:
Stolarczyk 4, Aluko 8, Thomas 6, McFarlane 5, Coulibaly 5, Braybrooke 4, Page 6, Chaplin 6, Bristric 6, Watson 6, Harlow 6, Subs: Burns, Cullen, Alves, Reid, Joseph
Leicester City, Man of the MatchOlabade Aluko
Match Stats (H/A)