Leicester City completely outclassed a poor Southampton side 4-1 with Shinji Okazaki grabbing a brace in Wednesday’s Premier League clash at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
First Half
Leicester were all over Southampton in the first half with Mahrez grabbing the opening goal in the 11th minute. After picking up the ball deep in Southampton’s half from Okazaki, he charged at the defence before firing a shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
Saints were in sixes and sevens at the back and it was nearly 2-0 in the 20th minute. After Jamie Vardy knocked the ball down to Okazaki, the forward unleashed a deflected strike that forced Fraser Forster into a save away for a corner.
Moments later Mario Lemina hacked the ball off the line from the lively Japan international’s strike as a second goal seemed on the cards.
In the 32nd minute, the goal arrived after a corner was headed away and fell to Christian Fuchs, the defender seeing his effort blocked by Steven Davis, yet the rebound fell to Okazaki, who tapped home with ease.
Amazingly, it was 3-0 in the 38th minute as Mahrez chipped in a free-kick towards Harry Maguire – and the defender chested it down and sent a ball across the face of the area for King to tuck home with ease. Wilfred Ndidi came close to adding a fourth but his strike from the edge of the area deflected just wide.
Second Half
After the break, City continued to pour forward and Mahrez forced Forster into a fine save from a free-kick before Maguire made the keeper produce a stop with his legs not long afterwards.
Out of almost nothing, Southampton pulled a goal back from a corner. Maya Yoshida got his head on the cross and it went in the back of the net in the 61st minute with Dusan Tadic claiming to have had a touch.
Six minutes later the home team nearly grabbed a second as Charlie Austin got on the end of a superb cross from out wide, but Kasper Schmeichel produced a stunning save.
It mattered little in the 69th minute when Okazaki completed his brace. From Vardy’s accurate cross, the Japanese attacker had an easy finish to make it 4-1.
Full Time: Southampton 1 – 4 Leicester
