Leicester City vs Walsall Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Leicester City

vs

Walsall

KickoffTuesday 10 November 2026, 7:00pm

VenueKing Power Stadium

CompetitionEFL Trophy

TV ChannelSky Sports+

Eight goals conceded in three games. For a Walsall side that had been one of the meanest defences in League Two all season, that is a dramatic collapse in form at the worst possible moment. Lee Grant’s team arrive at the King Power Stadium needing a win to stay alive in the EFL Trophy, but right now they look like a side that has lost its defensive identity just when it matters most.

Leicester, meanwhile, are quietly building something under Russell Martin. Four wins from their last six across all competitions, 16 goals scored in that run, and still within touching distance of the automatic promotion places in League One. This fixture gives Martin a chance to keep the momentum going while rotating his squad, and given the Foxes hold a goal difference advantage of eight or more over Walsall heading into this group decider, even a draw sends them through. The pressure, in short, is entirely on the visitors.

Leicester City vs Walsall Match Details

This EFL Trophy group stage decider takes place at the King Power Stadium, with the winner securing a place in the knockout rounds of the competition. Leicester only need a point to progress thanks to their superior goal difference, built largely on the back of a 6-1 dismantling of Fulham Under-21s earlier in the group stage. Walsall have no route through unless they take all three points, which makes this a fascinating tactical puzzle for both managers.

Team News

Russell Martin is expected to ring the changes given Leicester’s heavier commitments in League One, though this is not simply a youth team outing. There are genuine first team fringe players who need minutes, and Martin will want to keep standards high after a slightly nervy FA Cup win over Oxford City reminded everyone that complacency costs you.

• Jayden Joseph is ruled out through injury and will not feature
• Tommy Watson and Admir Bristic are both expected to start, with Bristic already on three EFL Trophy goals from just two appearances in this competition
• Martin is likely to make sweeping changes across the starting eleven
• Walsall had no league fixture at the weekend following their FA Cup exit, so Grant has a fully rested squad to pick from
• Harrison Burke, James Furlong, Isaac Moore, Reece Smith and Taj Sodje are all in contention for starting spots for the visitors

Predicted Lineups

For Leicester, Martin looks set to field a rotated but still competitive side. Bristic leads the line having been in excellent nick in this competition, with Watson providing creativity behind him. The back line and midfield will feature players pushing for more regular involvement, giving this lineup a point to prove rather than a night off feel.

Leicester City: Cornell; Gray, O’Hora, Kangasniemi; Aluko, Page, Neal, McFarlane; Howell; Watson; Bristic

Walsall will be stronger than many expected after the disappointment of losing to Newport County in the FA Cup. Grant will want a reaction, and with a full week to prepare, he has the luxury of naming close to his best available eleven. Wooster starts in goal, with the defence built around Leak and Burke, and Sodje leading the attack.

Walsall: Wooster; Ahui, Burke, Leak, Furlong; Moore, Sprangler; Simper, Dallas, Smith; Sodje

Recent Form

Leicester have been ticking over nicely. Four wins from six across all competitions is solid form for a side adjusting to life in the third tier, and 16 goals in those six games tells you there is real attacking intent under Martin. The one blemish was a 2-1 defeat at Luton Town, which kept things in perspective, but the overall picture is of a team growing in confidence and cohesion. Sitting within seven points of second place in League One, there is genuine belief at the King Power that this season could end with a quick return to the Championship.

Walsall’s story is more complicated. Thirteen games into the League Two season, they had been genuinely impressive, sitting third with only one defeat and just 12 goals conceded. That defensive solidity was their calling card. But something has shifted in recent weeks. Eight goals shipped across their last three outings is alarming for a side that had been so hard to break down, and the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Newport County on Saturday will have stung. Their only win in that three-game stretch was a 3-1 victory away at Colchester United, who are sitting in 23rd place in the division, which puts the quality of that result in its proper context.

The timing could not be worse for Walsall. They need to go to one of League One’s most potent attacking sides and get a result, and they are arriving in the worst form they have shown all season. Grant will be demanding a response, but this feels like a very tough ask on a Tuesday night away from home.

Head-to-Head Record

Meetings between Leicester and Walsall have been relatively infrequent given the gap in their historical league standing, and this EFL Trophy clash is something of a rarity between the two clubs in terms of competitive football. The significant difference in stature is reflected in the gap between their current league positions, with Leicester operating two divisions above their opponents in the football pyramid. That context alone shapes expectations going into this one.

Within this specific EFL Trophy group, the head-to-head record is of course fresh. Leicester’s 6-1 victory over Fulham Under-21s is what has given them such a commanding goal difference advantage, meaning Walsall face a mountain to climb not just in terms of winning the game but potentially in the margin of victory required if goal difference comes into play.

Key Stats

• Admir Bristic has scored three goals in just two EFL Trophy appearances for Leicester this season, making him the standout threat in this competition
• Walsall have conceded eight goals in their last three games across all competitions after keeping just 12 goals out in their first 13 league matches
• Leicester need only a draw to progress, while Walsall must win to have any chance of advancing to the knockout stages

Leicester City vs Walsall Betting Tips

The angle here is pretty clear. Leicester are the stronger side, they are in better form, they have a striker in Bristic who is absolutely flying in this competition, and they are playing at home. Walsall are under pressure to attack and win the game, which could leave space in behind for Leicester to exploit on the counter. The visitors’ recent defensive collapse makes this a fixture ripe for goals, and Leicester look well placed to make the most of it.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Yes, BTTS looks a solid call here. Walsall have genuine attacking quality, they have to push forward to get the win they need, and Leicester are rotating with a few fringe players in defensive areas. With eight goals conceded by Walsall in three games and Leicester keeping things relatively open in this competition, backing both sides to find the net makes sense.

Corners Prediction

Over on corners is worth considering. Walsall will be getting bodies forward in search of the win, which naturally creates more set piece situations at both ends. Leicester’s attacking play tends to generate wide threat through the likes of Watson, and an open game with Walsall needing to press tends to produce plenty of dead ball situations. Over 9.5 corners is a reasonable target in a game that should have plenty of end-to-end action.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Over 2.5 goals is the call without much hesitation. Both sides have attacking intent, Walsall have to go for it, Bristic is in the kind of form where he could add to his tally, and the recent defensive frailties from both angles suggest this will not be a cagey affair. The goals have been flowing whenever these two sides have played recently, and there is no reason to think this one bucks that trend.

Cards Prediction

Walsall will be desperate, which tends to mean a few more robust challenges as the game progresses. If they fall behind, expect the niggly fouls to creep in. Over 3.5 cards across the match is not unreasonable in a game where the visitors have everything on the line and the home side will not be rolling over. A competitive edge to this one despite the rotation from Martin’s side.

Bet Builder Tip

Bristic’s form in this competition makes him a natural fit alongside the goals markets, and with Walsall pushing forward and leaving space, the conditions suit a striker already on three in two Trophy outings.

Final Match Prediction

Grant will name a stronger Walsall eleven than might have been expected before the Newport County defeat, and they will make Leicester work for it. But the quality gap is real, Bristic is in form, and Martin’s side have the cushion of only needing a draw while playing with genuine attacking threat at home.

Leicester should edge this one, and a 2-1 win feels about right. Enough to get the job done, enough to keep the momentum rolling, and probably enough to give Bristic another moment to build on what has been a quietly impressive EFL Trophy campaign. Leicester City 2-1 Walsall.

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