QPR out of FA Cup after thumping at Leicester
QPR’s defensive errors were punished as they made their traditional swift exit from the FA Cup.
Jonathan Varane’s first career goal – a cracking strike from long range – hauled them level after James Justin’s early opener, but Stephy Mavididi and Facundo Buonanotte then scored to put the Premier League side 3-1 up.
Rayan Kolli pulled a goal back for Rangers with the final kick of the first half but Jamie Vardy restored Leicester’s two-goal cushion with a penalty soon after the restart.
Justin scored again to seal his team’s win and Wout Faes’ 30-yard screamer in stoppage time completed the rout.
In a third-round tie played in thick fog, QPR caused their opponents problems at times but their dire defending proved costly.
They went behind after just eight minutes, when Justin headed in Buonanotte’s free-kick.
They responded strongly and Ilias Chair’s powerful shot was saved by Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk shortly before Varane equalised in emphatic fashion.
After Harry Winks had given the ball away near the right-hand edge of his own penalty area, Varane met Kolli’s lay-off with a thumping first-time strike into the bottom corner of the net from around 25 yards out.
Both teams then missed big chances to take the lead – Vardy scooped a shot over from close range and Kolli also fired over, after being set up by Koki Saito.
Kolli then flicked a header over from Chair’s corner and Rangers were on top, only to concede twice in quick succession, firstly after a mistake by Harrison Ashby.
After the on-loan full-back ran straight into Mavididi, Bilal El Khannouss took the ball into the box and cut it back for Mavididi to score.
Three minutes later it was 3-1 – again after Rangers had given the ball away.
This time Kolli was the culprit. Leicester took full advantage, with Buonanotte heading in El Khannouss’ cross.
Kolli made amends after Winks handed out another gift.
This time Winks played a woeful back-pass towards the R’s youngster, who slotted home his fourth goal of the season.
The gift was reciprocated five minutes into the second half, when Ashby, who had a rotten game, slid in to block Mavididi’s cross and conceded a penalty when the ball hit his arm. Vardy netted from the spot.
There might have been another penalty when Kenneth Paal brought down Vardy while trying to retrieve the ball after Ronnie Edwards had lost it, but the apparent foul went unpunished.
QPR: Walsh; Ashby, Edwards, Clarke-Salter, Paal (Colback 72) Varane, Field (Morgan 70), Madsen; Saito (Frey 82), Chair (Smyth 70); Kolli (Lloyd 72).
Subs not used: Nardi, Dunne, Fox, Dixon-Bonner.
