Hull boss respects Leicester but throws down gauntlet & what stats say

Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic says he respects Leicester City Football Club. As a matter of fact, the lively Croatian/Bosnian manager believes the Foxes, under the tutelage of Catalan gaffer Marti Cifuentes, are one of the three best Championship sides.

However, the gauntlet was thrown down ahead of a match he must watch from the stands due to suspension. But while Jakirovic is excited and confident with what he and his men have to offer prior to kick-off, what do statistics indicate? Let’s have a look during another preview of Tuesday evening’s game.

Hull boss respects Leicester City but has thrown down the gauntlet

Jakirovic is definitely a character, I’ll give him that at least! The MKM Stadium outfit are 10th in the division at the moment; three points here would propel them higher than LCFC.

Respect exists for the Foxes at Hull, with Jakirovic happily admitting Leicester are ‘excellent for him’. Though he added that their home ground is somewhat of a fortress:

“This is our home, our house, so it will not be easy to take points from here… Leicester is an excellent team for me. Maybe they’re in the top three. We must be better, much better, but we play differently at home. This is something that is bothering me because I want to play away games in the MKM Stadium.”

Jakirovic, via Hull Live

As you can see, the coach exudes the ‘passion, power and strength’ he demands from the team.

What the stats say before the Foxes travel back to East Yorkshire to face the Tigers

First of all, let’s begin with the historical account of meetings between the two. I sound like I should be on BBC Two right now. Anyway, the two teams have met on 83 occasions overall.

Hull actually come out on top, surprisingly, by four victories in total. In the previous five clashes, this week’s home side won three; with a single draw and a loss too.

Although, the visitors seem to be favourites for the upcoming encounter. Google’s probability rater puts a City win at 41 per cent likelihood; Hull are 31%. Maybe their boss’s optimism is misplaced.

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