Milutin Osmajic made headlines once again, showcasing his talent as he led Preston North End to a 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Deepdale on Saturday. The 16-year-old forward made history as he netted the winning goal in the 85th minute. With this goal, he made history as he became the youngest ever scorer in Sky Bet Championship history at just 16 years and 37 days old.
The game played out with Preston scoring first, but controlling the match 100% of the time. Leicester mounted a determined comeback, and equalized in the second half’s 76th minute. Even with that setback, making just her fourth start as a rookie, Osmajic’s late strike gave the home side a well-deserved victory.
Milutin Osmajic’s Historic Goal
While Osmajic is certainly talented, her breakout performance has raised eyebrows in the football world. His winning goal, the result of a terrific nine-pass build-up by the whole squad, showed the early combination of skill and maturity that he brought to the pitch. He got the ball in a dangerous area and finished with ridiculous coolness. Without hesitation and with precision, he found the back of the net, sealing the match for Preston.
“We have had many performances like that and they have been draws and that’s the big difference. I thought we should have been more in front to be fair and then they equalised. But I don’t want us to settle.” – Paul Heckingbottom
Having opened the score, Osmajic almost put his name on the scoresheet again in stoppage time. He rounded Leicester’s last defender and was clear to goal but was thwarted by goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk. In a one-on-one, he had a tall task. Despite a wonderful set up from teammate Alfie Devine, he can then only somehow direct the ball wide from point blank range.
His impressive play overall, and as of late in particular, has generated talk about his immediate prospects, and longterm place, in professional football. Expectations are high among coaches and analysts as he dazzles week-in and week-out in a difficult circuit.
Leicester’s Resilience
Leicester City continued to fight till the end, leveling in 67th minute with Jeremy Monga Getting it Even. The young forward was a force as he bulldogged his way into the box. He rifled a low drive that whistled by Preston’s keeper, Daniel Iversen, at his near post. Monga’s performance earned praise from his coach, who called it “incredible” for someone of Monga’s young age.
“I was not very happy with Bilal’s performance. I always expect a lot with players of this quality. I was obviously not happy with the performance of the whole team in the first half, it was not just about Bilal. But I am more demanding with the best players and I think Bilal is a fantastic player.” – Marti Cifuentes
The equalizer injected a new, uncharacteristic energy into Leicester’s play, and though both Marc Albrighton and Jamie Vardy came close to finding a second goal, it didn’t happen. The match served to underline what both teams do very well, and what they need to improve on as they settle into the rigors of the Championship.
Implications for Both Teams
This match is an important occasion for the hosts Preston. So they are motivated to create some positive momentum and set themselves up for a successful campaign ahead. With Milutin Osmajic to spearhead the attack, they have every reason to be hopeful about their prospects in the months and years to come. His brilliant performances have marked him as one of the best talents in the league, but they suggest an exciting future for Preston’s attacking setup.
Leicester City should be proud of what they achieved and look to build on it in future matches. Though they all exhibited flashes of brilliance, what is most important is the consistency. After a disappointing few years, the raw young talents such as Jeremy Monga offer hope in Leicester’s future as they get back to creating a more developed squad.
Leave a Reply