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Kelechi Iheanacho had a penalty saved in the first half by Vicente Guaita and when Wilfried Zaha put the hosts ahead, Brendan Rodgers’ decision to make seven changes since the draw with Manchester United appeared to have failed.
However, Harvey Barnes’ eighth goal of the season in the 83rd minute saved a draw as the hosts bounced back from heavy losses to Liverpool and Aston Villa with one point.
With both sides in action on Boxing Day, both managers made a total of 12 changes at Selhurst Park, with James Maddison a notable absentee from the Foxes team and Jamie Vardy on the bench.
Palace eliminated five of the players involved in the 3-0 loss at Aston Villa, three of them defenders.
After conceding within five minutes in their last two games, the Eagles prevented history from repeating itself for the third time, but it was the visitors who dominated from the start.
Cheikhou Kouyate denied Iheanacho with a quarter of an hour to play before his fellow central defender was caught in the 18th minute.
James Tomkins, who hadn’t started for Palace since February due to a thigh injury, was slow to react when Luke Thomas ran into the box and dropped the defender.
Referee Graham Scott signaled the point, but Guaita was the hero for the hosts with a strong forehand that frustrated Iheanacho from 12 yards.
Christian Benteke tried to punish the visitors four minutes later, but headed off a corner from Andros Townsend and his penalty appeal after Daniel Amartey appeared to be handling the ball fell on deaf ears.
Palace’s goal continued to live a lovely life after Ayoze Pérez saw a deflected cross shot off the crossbar in the 25th minute, before Barnes hit the rebound.
Vicente Guaita saves Kelechi Iheanacho’s penalty during Leicester’s clash with Crystal Palace
(PENNSYLVANIA)
Both teams blew excellent opportunities soon after with Townsend shooting wide from eight yards after a good play by Jeffrey Schlupp and Iheanacho heading from close behind Dennis Praet’s center.
It was arguably a better chance than their missed penalty and despite more play in the opposition half, Leicester failed to make the breakthrough before the break.
The hosts came out with better intentions for the second period and Schlupp’s good work against his former club created an opening for Zaha, who shot from 20 yards.
Rodgers had seen enough and made his first substitution on a very cold afternoon when Youri Tielemans was introduced by more defensive Hamza Choudhury.
Wilfried Zaha celebrates Crystal Palace’s opening goal against Leicester
(AFP via Getty)
However, it did not have the desired effect, as Palace opened the scoring in the 58th minute through his talisman.
Zaha was fouled, but managed to find Townsend in the space to the right and got up to reach the area in time to be found by his teammate. The Palace striker volleyed past Kasper Schmeichel for his eighth goal of the season.
The technique was excellent and that meant that Zaha had doubled his goal count from the previous season just 16 league games in this period.
Vardy was called up with 24 minutes to go and Foxes boss Rodgers’ last roll of the dice was bringing Demarai Gray to Iheanacho, who endured a day to forget in South London.
Harvey Barnes scores late Leicester draw at Palace
(PENNSYLVANIA)
Eventually, Leicester found a tie through one of four players to start against United two days earlier.
Barnes created a yard of space outside the box and drilled the bottom corner, but there was no winner and the visitors had to settle for a point, although they moved up to second place.
