Leicester City Defeat Villarreal as Steve Cooper Tests 24 Players in Pre-Season Match

Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi scored as Leicester City defeated Villarreal 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors match on Saturday.

This game, billed as a training exercise before their first official pre-season fixture against Shrewsbury on Tuesday, featured four 30-minute periods, allowing manager Steve Cooper to give playing time to at least 24 players. The victory concluded City’s training camp in Evian-les-Bains on a high note.

Vardy captained the starting lineup at Stade Camille Fournier and opened the scoring. James Justin made a run down the left flank, receiving a pass from Harry Souttar, and squared the ball to Vardy, who finished first-time. Villarreal quickly equalized when Souttar inadvertently scored an own goal while trying to intercept a cross.

In the second hour, City switched their entire lineup and secured a winner. Conor Coady delivered a long ball over the top, which Mavididi controlled skillfully.

Although he initially waited for support, he eventually decided to go alone, curling the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Tuesday’s game at Croud Meadow will provide more insights into City’s tactical setup. However, Saturday’s match hinted at a 4-4-2 formation out of possession, possibly shifting to wing-backs when in possession.

The starting lineup included Danny Ward, Brandon Cover, Harry Souttar, Caleb Okoli, James Justin, Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, Abdul Fatawu, Wanya Marcal, Tom Cannon, and Jamie Vardy, with Will Alves coming on as a substitute.

For the second hour, the lineup featured Daniel Iversen, Ricardo Pereira, Ben Nelson, Conor Coady, Luke Thomas, Hamza Choudhury, Boubakary Soumare, Kasey McAteer, Michael Golding, Stephy Mavididi, and Patson Daka, with Silko Thomas brought on later.