Leicester City showed their clinical side to pip Millwall in an entertaining all-Championship tie at the Den to reach round four of the FA Cup.
The Foxes initiated their first offensive move when Marc Albrighton delivered a cross from the right, allowing Cesare Casadei to execute a powerful header. Subsequently, Casadei set up Ricardo Pereira, who skillfully guided a shot past Matija Sarkic.
Duncan Watmore managed to reduce the deficit by converting from close range after the halftime break. However, Tom Cannon extended the lead to 3-1 by beating the advancing Sarkic to Callum Doyle's long ball, rounding the keeper, and finishing into an empty net.
Zian Flemming intensified the tension by calmly slotting home Joe Bryan's outswinging corner. Despite the late challenge, the 2021 cup winners and current Championship leaders successfully held on to secure their advancement.
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For the third consecutive season, Millwall has bowed out in the third round, yet their performance against Leicester posed significant challenges. Matching Leicester's eight attempts on target, Millwall nearly forced a replay in stoppage time when Flemming's low free-kick narrowly missed the far post from the corner of the box.
Despite making seven changes, Leicester, on an unbeaten run of 11 matches, secured their 24th win from 30 matches this season. Stand-in goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, in his fifth appearance, made crucial saves against Watmore and Danny McNamara as Millwall started brightly. City took the lead through Casadei's third goal of the season.
Millwall, with six changes of their own, continued to create chances. Jake Cooper missed a free header from Bryan's corner before Pereira added a second shot on target and a second goal for the visitors.
The second half was a frenetic affair, with Sarkic making a superb diving save from Cannon, keeping Millwall in the tie. Watmore then secured a well-deserved goal, but Sarkic's misjudgment of Doyle's long ball allowed Cannon to score his third goal in two games, seemingly sealing the victory for Leicester.
Sarkic initially thwarted the in-form 21-year-old Cannon twice, followed by a denial of Albrighton. However, Flemming's polished finish added tension to the match, resulting in a repeat of last month's league meeting with a 3-2 scoreline.
Millwall boss Joe Edwards:
"We've consistently emphasized our desire to possess the ball more during my tenure here. However, the key focus lies in our execution when in possession. One notable positive from our recent performance was our ability to play out effectively.
This translated into playing through Leicester and penetrating into the final third frequently. In contrast to some prior matches where we displayed a cohesive possession strategy without creating substantial goal-scoring opportunities, this time we managed to generate a significant number of shots, which is certainly a positive development.
On the downside, we did make a few minor errors in our defensive third that need addressing."
Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca:
Our starting lineup featured a notably young squad, with seven out of our 11 players born after the year 2000. Despite the challenges, we generated numerous scoring opportunities and managed to net three goals, with the potential for even more.
Admittedly, in the initial half, we allowed our opponents too much space due to imperfect pressing techniques. However, the second half showcased significant improvements both defensively and offensively, demonstrating a considerable overall enhancement in our performance.
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