At one point early on, when Leicester carved Burton Albion apart at will, the mind cast back to Friday night and wondered whether it might be possible again.
Yet unlike Southampton, Nigel Clough’s side, midtable in League One, refused to buckle. Leicester are in the last eight but were really made to work for it.
Liam Boyce’s 52nd-minute strike made this a proper contest after the Foxes had dominated for so long. Burton were actually unfortunate not to push this beyond 90 minutes.
Burton went all the way to the semi-finals last season, beating the likes of Burnley and Aston Villa along the way, and were reinvigorated after half-time. Clough’s dog was wandering around outside the Pirelli Stadium at the break as its owner barked fresh energy into his players.
It was certainly far more of an examination than a few days’ prior for a much-changed Leicester team that still possessed serious quality. They had looked like easing through after only 20 minutes.
Kelechi Iheanacho swept in the first after just seven minutes, instinctively found by Youri Tielemans when Leicester broke Burton lines. Tielemens was capping off another splendid move shortly after.
Yet chances came and went. Dennis Praet could only chip wide when clean through, Marc Albrighton twice spurned opportunities with only Kieran O’Hara to beat. Demarai Gray also hammered wide waywardly. Leicester often worked other openings but were let down by the final ball.
That was all either side of Boyce’s rocket, fashioned as a result of a misplaced pass by Iheanacho in midfield. The shot was too hot for Ward, who could only shovel into his own net. Ward later redeemed himself with a super stop to thwart Fraser.
Burton ought to have sent this to extra-time. Sarkic, an old friend of Tielemans from Anderlecht’s academy, had time to pick his spot but blazed over unmarked at the back post. Sarkic was made to pay by substitute James Maddison, who thumped in the final minute.
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