Leicester 1-0 Birmingham: Foxes into FA Cup quarter-finals

Ricardo Pereira produced a finish Jamie Vardy would have been proud of to send Leicester into their third FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea in eight years.

Until the right-back headed past Lee Camp from six yards eight minutes from full-time, the tie appeared to be heading for extra-time as Birmingham, 15th in the Championship, looked to extend Leicester’s stuttering start to 2020. 

Yet the Portuguese’s close-range intervention – he received a cut to his face for his trouble – means the Foxes will face Chelsea again in the last eight, after also coming up against the Londoners at this stage in 2012 and 2018. 

Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira scores his team’s only goal and it proved to be the winner

Birmingham goalkeeper Lee Camp dives to his right but Pereira’s header went past him

Defender Pereira celebrates with Foxes team-mate Ben Chilwell after scoring in 82nd minute

‘At this point of the competition you will always come up against really good teams but we are delighted to be at home,’ said Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. ‘We’ll relish the game and we’ll be fighting to get to Wembley.

‘The supporters are keen to have cup runs, we reached the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and we’ll aim to go as far as we can in this one. We’ll aim to win as much as we can.’

After a flat first half, Leicester were much better after the break and just about deserved their victory. Before Pereira’s goal, James Maddison hit the bar and Kelechi Iheanacho had an effort ruled out for offside.

With the two star attractions missing – Leicester forward Vardy missed his second straight game with a calf injury while Birmingham teenager Jude Bellingham, wanted by Borussia Dortmund, was rested – there was little to quicken the pulse early on. 

Birmingham goalkeeper Camp saves James Maddison’s shot in what was a tight first half

Rodgers picked a strong team in the hope of racing into a rapid lead, but struggled to find holes in Blues’ defensive set-up. 

Birmingham were unbeaten in their previous 13 matches and it was easy to see why. Manager Pep Clotet, who made four changes, has them well organised, and former Blue Demarai Gray struggled against his old club, after being handed a rare start by Rodgers.

Birmingham’s attacking pair of on-loan Aston Villa striker Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz kept the Leicester rearguard occupied, although Kasper Schmeichel had a quiet first half in goal. 

The only time Blues came close to scoring in the opening 45 minutes was when Kerim Mrabti’s effort from just inside the box clipped Pereira and flew just wide.

Rodgers would doubtless have been frustrated with the lack of intensity to his side’s attacking play and they tried to step it up when battle resumed. First Jonny Evans headed Dennis Praet’s cross over when unmarked eight yards out, and Ben Chilwell prodded Marc Albrighton’s right-wing cross wide at the far post. 

Birmingham’s Wes Harding shoots at goal during the FA Cup fifth-round clash at Leicester

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers watches on from the touchline on Wednesday evening

Yet Birmingham did not wilt. Maddison took a fine touch to bring down Praet’s crossfield pass before he was crowded out, and Iheanacho was prevented from making a clean contact on the loose ball by more diligent defending en masse.

When Blues did clear their lines, Hogan was worrying the Leicester centre-backs. Caglar Soyuncu was booked for a late tackle after the forward had spun away from him, while Evans was lucky not to be penalised for a clear shove in the back as he and Hogan awaited a high ball.

Maddison’s influence on the game was growing and in the 68th minute, his left-foot drive from 25 yards deflected off Harlee Dean flicked the top of the bar – the closest Leicester had come to breaking Blues’ resistance. 

Birmingham’s Kerim Mrabti tussles for the ball with Leicester’s Pereira during the first half

Demarai Gray of Leicester City is challenged by Harding of Birmingham during the cup tie

The Foxes kept knocking on the door and Iheanacho had the ball in the net in the 74th minute after being sent through by Maddison, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

The decisive moment came eight minutes from full-time. Chilwell, who had a good game, crossed from the left, Albrighton lifted the ball back into the middle and Pereira rose above Jake Clarke-Salter to send a precise header into the far corner.

‘We have to congratulate Leicester but I am proud of my team,’ said Clotet. ‘What we had to do, we did with quality.’