On Sunday, August 10, at the King Power Stadium, Leicester City begins its new Championship campaign with a clear objective: to immediately reclaim a spot in the Premier League. The first obstacle on the Foxes’ path is Sheffield Wednesday, who finished 12th in last season’s table. As expected, relegation brought changes on the bench: replacing Ruud van Nistelrooy is Spaniard Marti Cifuentes, former QPR manager. The hosts start the season as one of the main contenders for direct promotion, aiming to replicate their 2023/24 success when, after being relegated from the Premier League, they bounced straight back by winning the Championship under Enzo Maresca, now Chelsea’s head coach. The biggest news is undoubtedly the absence of Jamie Vardy, who left the club after 13 years, 500 appearances, and 200 goals in a Foxes shirt. Despite Vardy’s departure and the sales of key players like Ndidi and Coady, Leicester still has a squad capable of competing at the top, with potential new signings — especially in attack — not ruled out. Sheffield Wednesday, after two consecutive seasons in the Championship, will aim to finish again in mid-table, although it could prove harder than expected. Many of last season’s top performers have left, and so far, the board has not invested in replacements. The campaign kicking off at the King Power Stadium may turn into a long struggle for the Owls, one of the oldest football clubs in the world, boasting four league titles, three FA Cups, and one League Cup in their trophy cabinet.

Leicester City's Recent Form and Key Stats

After last season’s painful relegation, Leicester City played several pre-season friendlies to adapt to the new coach’s ideas and be fully prepared for the season opener. In their last two international friendlies, Cifuentes’ men lost 2-1 to Germany’s FC Köln but then beat Fiorentina 2-0, thanks to first-half goals from Ayew and Fatawu.

The Spanish manager’s mission is to achieve an immediate return to the top flight, but that will require serious work on the defence, which conceded an average of 2.1 goals per match last season. The attack must also step up from its poor 2024/25 average of just 0.9 goals scored per game. At home, Leicester ended their last Premier League season with two consecutive wins — against fellow relegated sides Southampton and Ipswich Town.

Sheffield Wednesday's Recent Form and Key Stats

In their only notable pre-season test, Sheffield Wednesday suffered a 3-1 defeat to Lincoln United, a team playing in the Northern Premier League. There is significant concern among the Owls’ fans regarding their attacking output this season, especially after the departures of Windass, Gassama, Paterson, and Smith — four of their top scorers last term.

In last season’s Championship, Sheffield Wednesday finished exactly mid-table, with decent attacking numbers but too many defensive lapses — averaging 1.3 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per match. They closed the campaign without a win in their last four away games, picking up three draws and one loss.

Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction and tactical overview

The Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction from BetMines points to a clear home win, with the Foxes eager to start strongly in a season where they are among the favourites for promotion.

The last time these sides met — February 13, 2024 — Leicester won 2-0 with goals from Vardy and Fatawu. While Vardy is now gone after his legendary 13-year spell, Fatawu remains a key player and could well find the net again this time.

Beyond home advantage and the hunger to dominate from the start, Cifuentes’ men face an opponent weakened in the transfer market and with too many attacking uncertainties. Defensively, things don’t look much better for Wednesday, as they have conceded in each of their last eleven matches.

The BetMines algorithm, in addition to backing a home win, also leans towards a match where both teams score. Despite doubts over the visitors’ firepower, Leicester’s leaky defence last season makes a clean sheet unlikely in the opener.

• Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday Prediction by BetMines: Leicester to win or draw (Double Chance 1X) with a 67% probability
  
  
• Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday Prediction by BetMines: Both teams to score with a 59% probability

Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday Predicted Lineups

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Justin, Okoli, Faes, V. Kristansen; Skipp, Winks; Fatawu, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Daka. Manager: Marti Cifuentes

LEICESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): P. Charles; Valery, Iorfa, Bernard, Lowe; Ingelsson, Chalobah; Lowe, Bannan, Kobacki; Ugbo. Manager: Henrik Pedersen