Yoshida targeting Leicester revenge

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-04-16/maya-yoshida-pre-leicester-vs-saints-premier-league-1718

Maya Yoshida is targeting revenge when Southampton head to Leicester on Thursday night.

The defender remembers only too well the reverse fixture at St Mary’s in December, when the Foxes produced a ruthless away performance to run out 4-1 winners.

But Leicester have lost their last two matches and are without a win in four at home, and Yoshida is eyeing an opportunity to set the record straight whilst giving Saints’ survival chances a shot in the arm.

“It was a really disappointing game,” he recalled. “But this is a big chance for revenge against a big opponent.

“They have many good players on the attacking side. It’s really difficult to play one v one against Vardy or Mahrez, so we need to be a good, organised unit to not concede a goal.

“We have a chance to score, I believe, because they’ve conceded in a couple of games recently.”

That quest for goals has been boosted by the return from injury of Charlie Austin, who found the net immediately after replacing Yoshida last time Saints were on the road, at Arsenal.

“I think it’s really helpful,” said Yoshida of Austin’s fitness. “I was disappointed when I was changed after 75 minutes at the Emirates Stadium, but I was soon appreciating him!

“He had a really difficult moment for a long time, so as a friend I am really happy for him, and as a teammate I am happy he is back.

“Maybe this season we haven’t scored a lot, but that has not only started this season. It had already started in the second half of last season.

“If we don’t score the goals, we cannot get the points. But if we cannot score three goals in every game, we have to defend better. We need to be better in our defensive organisation.”