Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca expressed his delight as his team narrowly defeated Bournemouth to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The decisive goal came in extra time when Abdul Fatawu collected the ball on the edge of the box and expertly curled a shot into the top right corner.
This victory marked Leicester’s first appearance in the competition’s last eight since they won the FA Cup in 2021. Maresca was particularly pleased with his team’s performance, especially their ability to bounce back from a recent 3-1 defeat to Championship promotion rivals Leeds United.
He said: “We are happy because tonight we missed many chances, but at the end we have been lucky because we could score one goal.
“We try always to share minutes in this kind of game because all of the players deserve the chance.
“Tonight was a mix between many young players and some senior players and in the end, we played a good game.”
“Yes, I’m very proud from tonight’s performance.” – Enzo Maresca 💬
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 28, 2024
Bournemouth struggled to create scoring opportunities, managing only four shots on target compared to their Championship opponents’ six. Both teams hit the post during normal time, highlighting the narrow margins in the match.
This defeat extends Bournemouth’s winless run to six games in all competitions, a situation that saddens manager Andoni Iraola.
Through to the @EmiratesFACup Quarter-Finals! 🏆 👏
Delivered by @KingPowerhq #BOULEI pic.twitter.com/dMerL7WQZB
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 27, 2024
The 41-year-old said: “It is disappointing and it was a bad night for us because at the end it was the worst thing that could happen.
“We played 120 minutes with very tired legs. We had a lot of chances but you have to make the right decision at the end; with the last pass, last shot, and we finished a lot of shots very high.
“I think it’s an opportunity missed.”