Leaders Leicester ease to victory at Cardiff

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, along with his Leicester teammates, rejoices after successfully scoring his 8th goal this season.

James Justin scored an amazing goal from far away which helped Leicester City, who are currently at the top of the league, to keep their unbeaten run going for nine consecutive games. They won 2-0 against Cardiff City without much difficulty.

Leicester's domination early on at the Cardiff City Stadium paid off with a fantastic finish from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Despite Cardiff putting up a fight after the first goal, Leicester demonstrated their superior skills over Erol Bulut's squad and increased their lead in the second half when Justin scored from 25 yards and found the top corner.

Abdul Fatawu nearly replicated Justin's achievement towards the end, however, his long-distance shot hit the post and bounced back. After that, Stephy Mavididi also hit the crossbar.

Leicester has won seven out of their last nine league games, bringing them closer to returning to the Premier League. They have been dominant in the second tier since they were relegated from the top league last season.

The most recent win of the Foxes resulted in them leading the table by eight points ahead of Ipswich Town, who are in second place. Furthermore, they are 11 points ahead of Southampton, the third-placed team. Meanwhile, Cardiff has dropped to position 14 in the table due to their loss in six out of their last 10 games.

Leicester had to travel away from home for the second time in a row after their tie against Ipswich on December 26.

At Portman Road, Enzo Maresca's squad was unable to secure a triumphant win due to Jannik Vestergaard's last-minute own goal, however, they appeared to be motivated to redeem themselves from the beginning of their game in southern Wales.

Cardiff had a hard time getting near their opponents as they passed the ball confidently during the early part of the game. The first goal should have been scored when Abdul Fatawu sent a cross from the right and Dewbsury-Hall was all alone with a clear path to the goal.

Dewsbury-Hall had a good attempt with his header, but he directed it towards Jak Alnwick and he managed to save the ball.

After four minutes, Leicester had another attack that resulted in a goal, leaving Alnwick unable to protect his team.

The objective was achieved when the captain of the home team, Joe Ralls, lost the possession of the ball at the border of his own penalty area. Fatawu initiated the pressure, and eventually, Dewsbury-Hall succeeded in gaining possession of the ball.

With calmness and finesse, he evaded Dimitrios Goutas' sliding attempt and sent a powerful left-footed strike into the bottom of the goal.

As the initial half progressed, Cardiff's performance got better, with Ralls attempting a few shots that were obstructed. Just before halftime, Kion Etete missed the target from an awkward angle.

Justin's remarkable performance all but extinguished any hopes of a Cardiff resurgence in the latter half.

Once again, Fatawu played a vital role in the action by passing the ball back to Justin. Justin made a beautiful shot that curved and dipped towards the goal, eventually landing high in the net and past Alnwick.

Leicester had a chance to make it three points when Wilfred Ndidi took a shot on goal but was stopped by Goutas who slid in deftly. They also had another opportunity when Fatawu made a dynamic move but his 25-yard attempt hit the crossbar.

Patson Daka was able to receive the ball that had just bounced back, but unfortunately, he was unable to shoot it accurately and it went over the goalpost.

Leicester continued to push forward, causing Mavididi to become frustrated as his shot towards the goal hit the post after a small deflection from Perry Ng's leg. Mavididi showed his disappointment by placing his hands on his head.

Towards the end of the game, Cardiff's substitute Rubin Colwill attempted a shot on target, but it was blocked by Leicester's goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who didn't have much action otherwise throughout the match.

The head coach of Cardiff, Erol Bulut stated that his team will need to work hard in order to achieve their goals. Bulut emphasized the importance of dedication and commitment and urged his players to stay focused on their objectives. He also stressed the significance of unity within the team and encouraged his players to support each other. Bulut's ultimate message was that success is only achievable through hard work and a strong team mentality.

When it comes to comparing us with Leicester, it's not really possible because their level of skill is completely different. They were demoted in the previous season, and now they're determined to get back to the top tier as soon as possible. Plus, they still have high-quality players from their Premier League days.

I have nothing but praise for my team tonight. Whilst we accomplished a lot of good plays in the match, it was the small intricacies that impacted the game of football.

A case in point is when they applied a lot of pressure on us, resulting in us losing the ball and them scoring. In the second half, we encountered a similar scenario where we managed to retrieve the ball, but unfortunately the last pass was not executed effectively.

We must keep striving, and I believe we are making progress. My goal was for us to be in the running for a playoff spot, and we have many upcoming matches where we can strive for that goal. Moreover, I am optimistic that if we make a few acquisitions during the January transfer window, we can make even greater strides.

The boss of Leicester, Enzo Maresca:

I am extremely pleased for a specific reason - at this current juncture with this quantity of gameplay, the dedication exhibited by the athletes has been outstanding.

It's extremely challenging to play two consecutive away games while also having to play every three days."

I believe that the club should feel content. As the manager, I'm extremely pleased and proud. It's important for the supporters to take pride in these players who are demonstrating their determination to win even during this difficult time.

"Ending the year with over 60 points was a pleasant surprise, even to myself. It's time to keep pushing forward and maintain our momentum, but overall, we are content with our achievements."

The game has concluded with a final score of 0-2, Leicester City being the victorious team over Cardiff City.

The latter part of the match has come to a close with Cardiff City failing to score and Leicester City securing a 2-0 victory.

Cardiff City has committed an offside violation as Rubin Colwill has been caught offside.

Cardiff City's corner was given away by Hamza Choudhury.

Failed attempt. Yakou Méïté (Cardiff City) took a shot with his left foot from the center of the box, but it was obstructed.

In the defensive half, Hamza Choudhury of Leicester City receives a free kick.

Jamilu Collins from Cardiff City committed a violation.

Ollie Tanner from Cardiff City tried to score a goal using his left foot from a distance outside the box. He attempted this after a corner was given, but unfortunately, the shot went too high and wide to the left of the goal.

Cardiff City has given up a corner kick due to the actions of Cesare Casadei.

Jannik Vestergaard (Leicester City) committed a foul.

Rubin Colwill from Cardiff City has successfully gained a free kick in their own defensive half of the field.

Stephy Mavididi from Leicester City attempted a shot with his right foot from the center of the box. Unfortunately, the ball missed to the right side of the net. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall assisted Stephy's fast break.

Stephy Mavididi (Leicester City) committed a violation.

Perry Ng, a player for Cardiff City, earned a free kick in the defensive area.

The wait is over. They are prepared to proceed.

The game had to be paused due to an injury sustained by Abdul Fatawu, who plays for Leicester City.

The try has been stopped. Yakou Méïté (member of Cardiff City) attempted to shoot using his left foot from a distance outside the penalty area but the opponent blocked it. Ryan Wintle helped in this action by passing the ball to Yakou Méïté.

Mark McGuinness from Cardiff City missed a chance to score as his header from the center of the box went just a bit too high. He was assisted by Rubin Colwill who made a cross after a corner.

The ball was passed to the corner of the pitch nearest to Cardiff City's goal. Wout Faes unintentionally allowed the opposing team to score.

Blocked attempt. Yakou Méïté (Cardiff City) tries to score with his right foot from the central area but is prevented by an opposition player. Ollie Tanner provided the assist.