Shakespeare pens new Leicester tale
Foxes face Sevilla for place in UCL quarters
LONDON: A relative unknown on the global football scene just weeks ago, Craig Shakespeare now stands poised to steer Leicester City into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The jocular coach was promoted from his role as assistant manager following Claudio Ranieri’s shock dismissal last month, which he said left him feeling like a “pantomime villain”.
But Leicester have won their two games under Shakespeare’s stewardship and will attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit in today’s last 16 second leg at home to Sevilla with confidence fully restored.
“He is a top coach, a top guy and he has taken it on naturally,” says Leicester right-back Danny Simpson.
“He has kept it simple and told us what he wanted to do, which was simple and basic, and we’ve done that, so let’s hope we can carry it on for him.”
Leicester’s players were said to have been unsettled by Ranieri’s tactical tinkering as the club slid towards the Premier League relegation zone and Shakespeare has unashamedly gone back to basics.
He has reverted to the starting XI that won the title last season, with January signing Wilfred Ndidi taking the place of N’Golo Kante, now of Chelsea.
Leicester produced a stirring display in Shakespeare’s first game, Jamie Vardy scoring twice in a 3-1 home win over Liverpool, and came from behind to beat Hull City 3-1 on their last outing.
The squad subsequently spent time training and relaxing in Dubai, before Shakespeare was confirmed as manager until the end of the season on Sunday. It is his first full-time managerial role.
In a good omen, two of the last five Champions League-winning coaches — Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane in 2016 — were appointed during the same season.
The final in Cardiff remains a long way off for Shakespeare, but as last season demonstrated, miracles do happen in Leicester.
JUVENTUS V PORTO
In Turin, Juventus are favourites to advance against Porto with the Italian champions leading 2-0 from the first leg in Portugal.
With Juventus playing on three fronts, the matches are coming thick and fast — which is just fine for the Italian club.
“There’s no time for us to rest... and we don’t want to,” Juventus defender Dani Alves said. “We want this match to come.”
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is up against Porto counterpart Iker Casillas for the 18th time.
Casillas, who made his name with Real Madrid, will need to be at his best for Porto to stand a chance.
Buffon hopes Casillas has a great game — in a losing cause.
“Tuesday [today] will end with Juventus going through,” Buffon said. “Casillas will be the best on the pitch, and I’ll have a good performance.”
Buffon, however, will need to keep a close watch on Soares.
The Brazilian striker has been in prolific form since signing from Vitoria de Guimaraes in January, scoring nine goals in six Portuguese league games.