Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy drives the ball around Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea in the 2016 Community Shield match. (Photo : Getty Images)
Newly-promoted side Hull City AFC (0-0-0, 0 points) will open their 2016-2017 Premier League campaign against no less than last season's English top flight champions, Leicester City FC (0-0-0, 0 points) at their home field of KCOM Stadium on Saturday, August 13.
Hull City last match was back in late May when they defeated Sheffield Wednesday, 1-0, in their closing match in the Football League Championship at the Wembley Stadium, as per Skysports.
Senegalese midfielder Momo Diame netted the lone goal of the contest at the 72nd minute to help the Tigers finish at the fourth spot of the second-tier table and give them the chance to enter the qualification playoffs for Premier League promotion.
The team won the playoffs to get promoted in the first-division competitions this term, although they are starting the season without a permanent manager at the moment.
Former head coach Steve Bruce resigned last month as boss of the Tigers and the club has yet to find a replacement for the 55-year-old Englishman. Recent rumors have emerged that Wales national team manager Chris Coleman is being lured by club officials to coach the squad, but the Football Association of Wales has not approved the offer.
Meanwhile, Leicester City is coming off a 1-2 loss to a new-and-improved Manchester United XI in the 2016 Community Shield match held at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Daily Mail Online reported.
Winger Jesse Lingard opened the scoring for United at the 32nd minute via a brilliant individual goal before striker Jamie Vardy scored an equalizer at the 52nd off a Marouane Fellaini blooper near the Red Devils goal.
However, it was United's newly-acquired striker Zlatan Ibrahimović who had the last laugh in the contest, netting the winning goal with a perfectly-placed header with seven minutes left before full time off a looping cross from midfielder Antonio Valencia.
Despite the loss, head coach Claudio Ranieri is optimistic about the Foxes' chances to repeat as champions this term. The team had actually almost taken the opening lead at Wembley, but Shinji Okazaki's shot just hit David De Gea's goalpost.
Leicester will definitely use this opening game as a testament that they will be ready to defend their title this season.
The predicted result is a 3-0 romp for the defending champions Leicester City.
Hull City starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Jakupovic; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Livermore, Huddlestone; Elmohamady, Snodgrass, Diomande; Hernandez
Leicester City starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, King, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy
