WHEN the season began, no-one expected Saints to be hosting a Leicester City side in the Premier League’s top five after beating a Chelsea team languising in the bottom five.

Two weeks on from the euphoric win at Stamford Bridge, Ronald Koeman is preparing for a very different test against the season’s surprise package.

“It’s a difficult match, Leicester have had a great start to the season,” said the Saints boss. “With a very experienced manager, [Claudio] Ranieri, they play 4-4-2 with good organisation.

“I think one of the strengths of the team is they play with very high intensity. They really go for the result.

“But we’re at home and I think the team is improving.”

The games are sandwiched by a memorable fortnight's international break for many of Koeman’s players.

But the confidence gained from being the first side to score three goals against a Jose Mourinho team at Stamford Bridge will stand Koeman’s men in good stead.

“For the belief and confidence, it was important to win at Chelsea,” he said. “We would always like to play that way.

“Maybe the second 45 minutes was the best so far this season. I think we had some games last season where we had that strength in the way we played.

“But how we pressed against a big team, in a difficult period, and how we created chances and scored the goals was great football with great qualities.

“Being 1-1 at half time gave the team the belief to play the way we did in the second half.”

Leicester and Saints are two of the four teams unbeaten away from home in the Premier League this season.

But if tomorrow's visitors have a weakness it is a back four that has conceded more goals this season(15) than every other side bar Chelsea, Sunderland and Newcastle.

Leicester have scored in every game, but are yet to keep a clean sheet – so Ranieri has offered to buy them pizzas if they manage a St Mary’s shut-out.

“It's very serious but for this reason I pay a pizza," he said. "I know it's very difficult to achieve this. I want to push my players and sooner or later I will pay.

"Saturday will be tough, tough, tough, but it will also be tough for them."

Ex-Saint Nathan Dyer is fit again after a knee injury, while Riyad Mahrez could also return.