Federico Di Francesco’s goal on the hour-mark was the only difference in Friday night’s friendly as Leicester City fell 1-0 to Italian side Palermo at Chesterfield’s SMH Group Stadium.
Despite the defeat, Leicester manager Steve Cooper noted several positives from the performance, even though his team failed to score for the first time this pre-season.
Cooper remarked, “This was our best showing of the pre-season in terms of our play with the ball, though we struggled in and around the box. We created good positions and opportunities but failed to capitalize on them.”
He continued, “We had chances where we missed volleys and mistimed headers, lacking clinical finishing. We faced a strong team, particularly in the first half.”
Leicester entered this match after wins against Villarreal and Shrewsbury Town, and Cooper highlighted the progress made despite the narrow loss.
He acknowledged, “We improved significantly from our last game, especially in general play. However, our attacking play needs to be more effective. Abdul Fatawu was dangerous and becoming a bigger threat before we had to substitute him.”
Cooper expressed optimism about the squad’s performance, noting that the team was better than in their previous game.
“We’re getting good minutes, which is essential for preparation ahead of the new Premier League season. It’s a process, and we’ll continue to improve,” he said.
Leicester’s pre-season continues with a match against Bundesliga side FC Augsburg on August 3. Cooper plans to implement more of his strategies and learn from recent games. “The goal we conceded was a soft one, and mistakes can happen.
I’m comfortable with errors in pre-season as long as we learn from them. We aim to enhance our build-up play and increase our threat in the final third.”
Looking ahead, Cooper emphasized the need for greater efficiency in front of goal, especially with fewer chances likely in the Premier League compared to the Championship.
“We need to make the most of our opportunities and be more decisive in scoring,” he concluded.
