Enzo Maresca believes Blackburn Rovers are the best team that Leicester City have faced this season.
The Foxes beat Rovers 4-1 at Ewood Park, with two late goals adding gloss to the scoreline. Whilst Leicester were deserved winners, the three-goal margin of victory was not a fair reflection of a tight encounter.
Rovers had kept Leicester at arm's length until the 80th minute but once Kelechi Inheanacho converted from the penalty spot for their third, it was game over. Jon Dahl Tomasson felt that the refereeing decision was harsh and didn't think the 4-1 scoreline gave a clear picture of how the game unfolded.
That view is shared by Maresca, who admitted he was 'worried' about Rovers before the match. He felt this was their best win of the season against the most difficult side they'd faced.
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“It was our most important win today since we started,” Maresca told Leicestershire Live. “I was a bit worried because of the opponent. They are very good. In terms of the way they play, they are the best team we have played.
“They are a complicated opponent. Sometimes the wingers are outside, sometimes inside, full-backs are on the outside, sometimes inside. So it’s difficult to have a gameplan off the ball, the way you want to press, because they move a lot.
“I was a bit worried, so it was the best win since we started. Off the ball, the last half an hour, we were much better. The first 10 minutes of the second half, we dropped, then we started again in the way we prepared the game.
“On the ball, we had some good moments, but probably because of the goal we conceded, we lost a bit of confidence. To concede a goal in that way, we lost confidence. We need to learn and keep it going.”
Maresca is not the first manager to give a glowing review of Tomasson's side in their post-match appraisal. Tony Mowbray and Kieran McKenna have both said similar despite Rovers' recent run of defeats.
Plymouth Argyle fans were particularly complimentary of Rovers' style despite a 3-0 win at Home Park before the international break too. Of course, it means very little without a result for Rovers.
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