Marcelino Nunez delivered a moment of pure brilliance from the halfway line, a strike that proved decisive as Ipswich Town secured a hard‑earned 3-1 triumph over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. The match, a rare cup encounter between two clubs that had met in the Premier League just over a year earlier, unfolded at Portman Road under a bright September sky. Leicester arrived on the back of a demoralising 2-0 defeat at home to Burton Albion in League One, a loss that had already put manager Russell Martin under intense scrutiny.
Despite the pressure, the Foxes managed to hold Ipswich at bay for the first 45 minutes, with the score remaining deadlocked at zero‑all. The deadlock was finally broken in the 62nd minute when Sindre Walle Egeli, a young talent with a pedigree that hints at Premier League quality, slotted a precise left‑footed finish after a well‑timed pass from Chuba Akpom. The goal lifted the home side’s spirits and seemed to open the floodgates. However, Leicester responded swiftly; just five minutes later, 19‑year‑old Olabade Aluko, who had been a substitute for most of the season, nudged in a faint touch from a corner flicked on by Bobby De Cordova‑Reid, earning the Foxes a deserved equaliser and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
The turning point arrived when former Norwich midfielder Marcelino Nunez, who had joined Ipswich last summer, took matters into his own hands. In the 71st minute, after a shot struck the post, Nunez pounced on the rebound and smashed the ball home, marking his first goal at Portman Road since his arrival.
The celebration was palpable, but the Chilean forward was not finished. In stoppage time, with the game seemingly headed for a draw, Nunez produced a spectacular 50‑yard lob that sailed over Leicester goalkeeper Christian Walton after spotting the keeper off his line. The audacious strike left the crowd in awe and sealed a 3-1 victory, sending Ipswich into the third round of the Carabao Cup for only the second time in the past eleven seasons. The match featured several noteworthy moments beyond the goals.
Early on, Ipswich backup goalkeeper Christian Walton made a crucial intervention, denying Leicester’s Christian McFarlane an attempted chip in the 20th minute after a clever pass from Louis Page. On the opposite end, Leicester’s young goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk produced a fine save from a header by Dara O'Shea, keeping the score level at half‑time. Leicester’s manager Russell Martin, who had been booed by his own supporters after the earlier Burton loss, watched his side flirt with danger within the first half‑minute. A quick Leicester attack nearly resulted in an opening goal, but Chuba Akpom could not capitalize.
The Foxes soon steadied themselves, with Brighton loanee Tom Watson forcing a wide miss before testing Walton with a curling effort that was comfortably saved. The second half saw Ipswich’s midfielder Kasey McAteer have a goal ruled out for off‑side just two minutes after the restart. Shortly thereafter, Leicester’s Conor Chaplin was substituted, receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd on the hour mark – a gesture orchestrated by Martin to acknowledge his effort despite the looming defeat. The substitution did not halt Ipswich’s momentum; Akpom’s incisive pass found Jack Clarke, who squared the ball to Egeli for the opening goal.
Leicester’s response came from the set‑piece routine. A corner delivered by Page was flicked on by De Cordova‑Reid, and Aluko, making his first professional goal, tapped the ball home, restoring parity.
The match then entered a tense phase, with both sides creating chances but failing to convert until Nunez’s decisive interventions. After the 71st‑minute equaliser, Nunez’s first goal came after a turnover by Woyo Coulibaly, with the Chilean forward firing the ball in off the post. A missed one‑on‑one chance by Akpom later in the game gave Nunez a second opportunity, and he seized it with aplomb.
When the ball fell into the centre circle, Nunez spotted Walton slightly off his line and executed a lofted lob that sailed cleanly over the goalkeeper, a goal that will be remembered for its audacity and technical brilliance. Post‑match, Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil praised Nunez’s impact, stating, “I didn’t think it was the best decision to be honest! Neither did Chuba nor Sindre, who were clean through on goal, but as long as you can put it in the net, no one can argue – good decision in the end! Marcelino has been excellent in the last two performances, scoring two great goals.
His energy is unbelievable, he never stops, and he remains an incredibly humble kid who works hard. We need players like him in the squad, and those big moments of quality changed the game for us. He’s in a good spot and we must keep him going, especially with the upcoming weekend at Manchester United.” Leicester’s Russell Martin, despite the loss, remained upbeat: “The players were amazing and I loved the performance. We were unlucky to lose 3-1, but after Saturday we talked a lot about bravery, aggression and intensity.
With and without the ball they showed so much. The only thing missing is the win, but if we play like that, it’s exciting for us.
We’ll have a lot of fun and win a lot of games. It’s still early, so I feel calm about it. The fans were fantastic, and I hope they felt some energy after that performance.” Overall, the fixture showcased the unpredictable nature of cup football, where a single moment of brilliance – in this case, a half‑court lob and a well‑timed rebound finish – can turn the tide and propel a team forward in a competition that often rewards daring and determination. Ipswich’s victory not only advances them to the next round but also provides a morale boost after a challenging league campaign, while Leicester must regroup and address the defensive lapses that allowed such spectacular goals to be scored.