Queens Park Rangers (QPR) notched arguably their best all-around performance of the season at Loftus Road on Saturday, dominating Leicester City in a 4-1 victory. The match served as a difficult homecoming for Leicester manager Marti Cifuentes, as his squad had difficulty gaining their rhythm throughout the match. Koki Saito of QPR had other ideas, as he opened the scoring just two minutes into the match. His 20 second goal set the stage for an emphatic win.
The game started with QPR dominating from the opening kick. As much as Koki Saito’s first minute goal shocked Leicester, it must have invigorated the home support. Saito’s early strike opened the glimmers of possibility, and Richard Kone wasted no time in doubling the lead. With sublime physicality and technique, he brushed aside defender Jordan Ayew and blasted the ball into the top of the net.
Karamoko Dembele and Amadou Mbengue put the game out of reach early on in the second half, with QPR making sure to leave no doubt with their performance.
Early Goals Set the Stage
Koki Saito got things started right away, scoring in just the second minute to open the scoring. His first minute opening goal immediately lit up Loftus Road and foreshadowed a difficult day at the office for Leicester.
Soon after, Richard Kone doubled QPR’s lead with a second goal. After Nico’s free-kick had been expertly headed across goal by Jimmy Dunne, Kone was quickest to react and made no mistake. Tricky footwork to hold off the challenge of Jordan Ayew and an accurate finish into the bottom corner.
Just before a half-hour in, the scoring doubled, as Dembele doubled the lead. Following up from the left, Rhys Norrington-Davies’s low cross found Burrell, who laid it off for Dembele to finish. With precision, Dembele took a touch and sent a powerful left-footed shot past Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, making it 3-0.
Missed Opportunities and a Glimmer of Hope
It was a dominating lead that belied the moments when QPR should have expanded their growing victory. This had been a while coming, as Saito had already scored one earlier. He wasted a brilliant chance to double his tally when he put the ball over the bar from a few yards out.
As the match headed into half time, Mbengue made the swift transition from right-back to send in a swerving delivery. The high shot surprised Stolarczyk at his near post too! This unfortunate own goal in first half stoppage time made it 4-0 to QPR.
Leicester finally found some momentum when Sam Field handled Ricardo Pereira’s shot in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. However, Bobby De Cordova-Reid missed the penalty in the 82nd minute, denying Leicester a chance to cut into QPR’s lead.
Cifuentes’ Frustrations
Leicester’s only goal came through Silko Thomas, as the forward reacted quickly to a loose ball to net late on. While this consolation goal was nice, Cifuentes said he was frustrated with his team’s output on the day.
“Emotionally, it’s a tough one. We need to move on quick. It’s a marathon; we are almost in the middle of the season and we need to pick ourselves up.” – Marti Cifuentes
Cifuentes said he was unhappy with his team’s first-half showing. He continued, “It was a horrible first half and allowed the other team to set the tone for the entire game. This is unacceptable for me, unacceptable for the players and unacceptable for our supporters who came out here today.
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