Leicester City 1 Wolves 0 - Report

It was the first opening day defeat for Wolves in nine years, but after Vardy’s goal shortly before half time they were far better after the break and went close on several occasions.

Ultimately however just three of their 17 shots were on target, and they will need to make more of the threatening attacking play which left Leicester hanging on grimly by the final whistle.

Lage went into his competitive game as Head Coach by selecting the same starting eleven as for the final pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo, with Nelson Semedo, out of isolation following a Covid contact, named among the substitutes.

That meant two Wolves debuts, and two Premier League debuts, for goalkeeper Jose Sa and forward Francisco Trincao.

For the first 20 minutes or so the pattern of the game was very much for Leicester to have a lot of possession and Wolves to sit back and see what they had to offer, while looking to threaten on the break.

There was also clearly an aim for the Foxes to get Vardy in behind with the striker constantly hanging off the shoulder of Wolves skipper Conor Coady, but the away side defended well in the early skirmishes.

Hoever and Romain Saiss were both alert to produce timely clearances from low balls played into the box and Wolves were working hard to deny Leicester the space they were looking for with some intricate passing in and around the area.

Vardy did wriggle loose with just over ten minutes on the clock and tried his luck with a first time left foot half volley from an acute angle which didn’t trouble Sa who collected comfortably.

While having to do a lot of defending Wolves did produce one or two moments of promise on the break, chiefly through Adama Traore.

The ball broke from one of his bursts down the left for Jimenez to cross which was cleared and then the winger ran from deep before having his shot blocked when a pass to the Mexican frontman to his right might have been the better option.

Vardy had seen his clipped finish ruled out for being several yards offside before hitting a low shot from the edge of the box which was well handled by Sa and, when the game’s first big chance of the game arrived in the 36th minute, it fell to Wolves.

Joao Moutinho picked off a Leicester pass in midfield and produced an inch-perfect through pass for Traore to run onto.

Traore did everything right, well almost everything, taking it on beyond the Leicester defence, but agonisingly his finish which beat Kasper Schmeichel fell just the wrong side of the post.

Even more agonisingly Wolves were made to pay almost immediately at the other end and it was no surprise that it was Vardy who broke the deadlock.

Ricardo Pereira danced between Marcal and Moutinho down the Leicester right but there was still so much to do from his driven cross.

Not for Vardy however, who burst in front of Coady to expertly despatch the ball first time with the outside of his foot across Sa and into the opposite corner, giving the debutant Wolves keeper no chance.

Sa then needed to be right on his toes with the last action before half time, flinging himself to his right to claw away a shot from Youri Tielemans.

It had been a half where Leicester had dominated possession but Wolves had, for the most part, defended solidly, without threatening too much themselves apart from via Traore on the break.

The visitors would certainly need to produce something more sustained going forward in the second half and were first into the front foot after the break.

Traore found Hoever on the right and after his cross was headed away, Moutinho tried his luck from distance which an effort which wasn’t too far over.

Wolves were forcing the issue far more at the start of the second period and putting more pressure on the visitors whom as a result were unable to keep the ball in the same way as they had in the first half.

Trincao’s impact had been negligible in the opening period but he was having a much greater impact at the start of the second, and having been picked out by Ruben Neves saw his dangerous shot deflected over by Caglar Soyuncu.

Hoever’s effort shortly afterwards after cutting inside from the right was certainly ambitious but was at least another sign of a greater intent from Wolves in trying to get back into the game.

The first changes of the game arrived just after the hour mark as James Maddison, who appeared to have been suffering with a back injury, and Ayoze Perez making way for Foxes debutants Boubakaray Soumare and Jannik Vestergaard..

Leicester’s first attack of note of the half soon followed as Vardy tried to play in Ashley Barnes only for Coady to produce effectively a goal-saving challenge and then Hoever’s cross at the other end was headed away as Jimenez waited to pounce.

It was all getting slightly frenetic now and Leicester burst clear with an overload but as Barnes tried to cut inside, Maximilian Kilman was across with a superb challenge to deny him.

Leander Dendoncker came on for Moutinho before the action then switched once again, Traore catching a half volley nicely but almost too nicely as it was directed straight at Schmeichel.

Vardy then flashed a fierce shot narrowly wide before Wolves swept back on the attack, Saiss almost getting on the end of Marcal’s cross before a Traore shot was deflected wide.

Saiss then got on the end of a corner with a looping header which Schmeichel was able to claim.

As full time approached it was all Wolves with wave after wave of attacks trying to find the breakthrough.

Kilman was denied after a magnificent mazy run through the defence before Dendoncker’s close range header was gathered by Schmeichel.

Traore then found more space down the left and found Gibbs-White in the centre but his shot was blocked before Coady had an effort disallowed for offside after more pressure following a corner.

It was Leicester clinging on to their lead by their fingertips as full time approach and the reaction at the final whistle was not just celebration but surely mixed with relief after weathering Wolves’ late onslaught.

TEAMS

Leicester: Schmeichel, Pereira, Soyuncu, Amartey, Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Barnes (Iheanacho 71), Maddison (Vestergaard 62), Perez (Soumare 62), Vardy.

Subs not used: Ward, Choudhury, Dewsbury-Hall, Albrighton, Praet, Daka.

Wolves: Sa, Saiss, Coady, Kilman (Silva 90+1), Hoever, Moutinho (Dendoncker 66), Neves, Marcal, Trincao (Gibbs-White 85), Jimenez, Traore.

Subs not used: Ruddy, Ait-Nouri, Semedo, Marques, Cundle, Campbell.