Tielemans: Smart Approach Required

First Team
20 Mar 2021
2 Minutes
Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final tie with Manchester United on Sunday is a meeting of two evenly matched, in-form teams, according to Youri Tielemans.

- Manchester United are the visitors to King Power Stadium for Sunday's Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final (5pm kick-off)
- The two teams sit second and third in the Premier League table and drew 2-2 in December's meeting
- Midfielder Youri Tielemans hopes the Foxes can display the attacking quality that has been evident in recent matches
- Leicester City are aiming to go one better than last season's last-eight exit to Chelsea

In a pre-match interview with LCFC TV earlier this week, the 23-year-old Belgian sat down to discuss the visitors' threats and why City are presented with a tough task to progress into the competition's final four.

The Foxes have shown their character in recent weeks, bouncing back from successive defeats at the end of February and then recovering from going behind in games at Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion, before defeating Sheffield United 5-0 last time out.

There was nothing between City and Manchester United in the Premier League at King Power Stadium on Boxing Day and Tielemans is expecting both teams to approach the cup fixture in a similar manner.

A single point separates the two sides in the current top-flight standings, with United one place ahead of Leicester, but Tielemans knows the unpredictable nature of the FA Cup means they must be prepared for all eventualities come Sunday.

Anything can happen and it's one game so we have to be smart in our approach of the game.

Youri Tielemans LCFC TV

"It was a fairly balanced game," Leicester's midfield star commented, recalling the encounter with the Red Devils on 26 December. "We drew 2-2 and I think it was a good game, a good game to watch, with very good football from them and from us.

"The way we played them earlier, I think it's going to be a bit of the same really. A very organised game. If there is something that we can learn from that game it's to go right until the end because I think we scored in the 85th minute, so we need to do that.

"I think it's in our heads, obviously you know that it's a knockout game and it's the cup. Anything can happen and it's one game so we have to be smart in our approach of the game."

Like Leicester, Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side have won their last two Premier League matches and are unbeaten in 14 successive games in all competitions, including a 2-0 triumph in the Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium and Thursday's 1-0 win at AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League.

Tielemans believes the visitors' star-studded line-up could cause the Foxes similar problems if they are not at the top of their game.

City's No.8 explained: "We'll have to be patient on the ball because they have some really good players and we'll have to work hard off the ball to manage their counter attacks, which is a big threat from them.

"We saw it in the game previously against Manchester City where they had some really good counters, so we'll have to manage that and then we'll have to play our game.

"It's a cup and we want to go through, just like they want to. It's going to be a very good game hopefully.

"But I think we just have to play our own game and go and win the game and then move on."

All times GMT.