Leicester City Secures Draw Against Oxford United
Ricardo Pereira came off the bench to secure a Championship point for 10-man Leicester City during their first visit to Oxford United in 31 years.
The Foxes played with a reduced squad for nearly 70 minutes after Aaron Ramsey received a red card on his debut.
Will Lankshear opened the scoring for the U's, but Jordan Ayew quickly equalized before Ramsey was sent off in the 23rd minute for a reckless challenge on Filip Krastev.
Just before halftime, Ben Davies scored a header that deflected off Boubakary Soumare for an own goal, restoring Oxford's lead. However, Pereira, who was substituted on at halftime, made an immediate impact by finding the bottom corner to equalize in the 55th minute.
In the 30 years since Leicester's last match against Oxford, the two clubs have taken significantly different paths; the Foxes have risen to the pinnacle of English football as Premier League champions, while the U's have faced relegation to the National League.
Starting the match 18 places below Leicester in the standings and without a league victory this season, Oxford put the high-flying Foxes under pressure from the outset, showcasing their determination.
Lankshear’s ninth-minute goal came after a failure by goalkeeper Jacub Stolarczyk to hold onto a volley from Matt Phillips, allowing Michal Helik to set up the Tottenham loanee for a well-deserved opener.
A critical mistake by newly appointed U's captain Cameron Brannagan allowed Ayew to quickly equalize after a disastrous back pass.
Przemyslaw Placheta nearly restored Oxford's lead with a shot that struck the crossbar and rebounded dangerously back towards Stolarczyk.
However, the situation worsened for Leicester when Ramsey received a red card for a studs-up challenge on Bulgaria international and fellow debutant Krastev, moments after testing Jamie Cumming with a powerful shot.
Despite being a man down, Stephy Mavididi demonstrated that Leicester remained a threat with a solo attempt that forced Cumming into a save at his near post.
Davies’ header from a corner, which deflected off the unsuspecting Soumare and past goalkeeper Stolarczyk, put Gary Rowett's side back in front in the 44th minute.
At halftime, Cifuentes brought on experienced players Harry Winks and Pereira, and the Portuguese captain quickly made his mark by linking up with Abdul Fatawu in a fluid passing sequence before coolly finishing to equalize.
In the closing moments, there were calls for a Leicester penalty when a cross from Ayew struck Sam Long's arm, but referee Ben Toner dismissed the appeals, leaving the visitors to settle for a hard-earned draw.