City leap into pole position but need a result in Napoli to ensure progress
FIRST HALF BLITZ ENOUGH TO
LEICESTER City’s European adventure will continue in the new year after they lifted the malaise around the club with a 3-1 victory over Legia Warsaw.
A fast first half saw City bag three goals and secure their first win since late October, rising from bottom to top in their Europa League group.
While a draw is required at Napoli next month to guarantee they move into the competition’s knockout stages – with a win needed to win the group and receive a bye to the last 16 – they are at least assured of third place in their pool, which earns a spot in the third-tier Europa Conference League.
City will hope the victory does more than just boost their Europa League chances and helps them re-discover their Premier League form too.
Certainly, the slow starts that have cost them in recent weeks were not seen here, with Patson Daka and James Maddison firing City into an early 2-0 lead.
While Legia responded with a rebound from a saved penalty, Wilfred Ndidi quickly re-established City’s two-goal advantage that they professionally saw out.
After an all-action first half, there was more drama in the stands in the second period as away supporters clashed with police.
The need for victory against an opponent expected to sit back saw Brendan Rodgers make three personnel changes and tweak his side’s shape.
However, one of those changes was at the last minute.
Daniel Amartey was one of the trio that had dropped out, but he was called up again just moments
before kick-off, with Jonny Evans withdrawing with a muscle injury.
Elsewhere, Luke Thomas came in at left-back as City reverted to a back four, while Maddison’s creative abilities were introduced into the midfield.
Then, as has become custom in the Europa League, Jamie Vardy dropped to the bench, with Daka chosen over Kelechi Iheanacho to lead the line, the Zambian supported by Ademola Lookman and Harvey Barnes from wide.
City had drawn their previous two home Europa League ties but a point would not be satisfactory against the Polish champions, not least because they arrived at the King Power Stadium on the back of their worst losing streak in 85 years.
There was a clear message from the fans too ahead of kick-off, as a banner went up in the Kop depicting a Leicester City Express, with the words: “At the whistle, full steam ahead.”
Not only did the players respond, racing around the pitch in the early stages, the supporters themselves appeared to take on board calls from Rodgers and
Ayoze Perez to get behind the team following boos during Saturday’s dismal 3-0 loss to Chelsea.
The combination of a quick start on the pitch and electric atmosphere off it led to a goal after a little more than 10 minutes.
City were showing a willingness to drive at the Legia defenders, and they brought about their own good fortune.
First, Thomas dribbled into the Legia final third before laying off to Barnes, who jinked inside, showing nifty feet and good upper body strength.
He was tackled but the ricochet bounced kindly into the box, Daka holding off his man, spinning, and placing the ball into the bottom corner.
After his four-goal haul in Moscow, this fifth European goal made him City’s outright top scorer in continental competition, now one ahead of Barnes, Vardy, and Riyad Mahrez.
Talking of the silky Algerian, Maddison’s goal to double City’s lead was reminiscent of his famous finish against Chelsea.
Moments before, Maddison had seen a goalbound shot blocked after fine work by Barnes to dribble around the outside, but the number 10 was not to be denied after receiving a ball from the other side, Lookman cutting it back.
Maddison feinted to shoot on his right foot, but Cruyff-turned back onto his left and then fired into the net.
It was an excellent first quarter, but this City side are not yet at the level of performance where they are making life easy for themselves.
That’s principally due to their defence, which has kept only two clean sheets, on the opening day and against Millwall in the cup.
Legia could have been forgiven for being low on confidence given their dreadful form, but they were playing with a freedom in attack, dragging City’s defence around, and managed to earn themselves a penalty when Caglar Soyuncu’s headed clearance flicked onto Ndidi’s hand.
From the spot, Mahir Emreli, the match-winner in Warsaw, tamely hit his penalty down the middle, with Kasper Schmeichel saving.
However, the Dane could only parry back into his area, and Filip Mladenovic was quickest to follow up, slamming into the net.
More Legia chances came, with Amartey deflecting a Mladenovic shot into the side-netting.
However, it did not take long for Ndidi to atone for his handball.
Maddison delivered a corner from the left, Legia’s young goalkeeper Cezary Miszta came and missed the punch, allowing the Nigerian to nod in his first goal of the season.
But with Evans out, moments of miscommunication and disorganisation in the City back-line were frequent.
Ernest Muci nipped in front of Amartey and dinked over Schmeichel, with Soyuncu needing to hack clear near the goalline.
SEE OFF STRUGGLING VISITORS
Moments later, Timothy Castagne had to step back and head clear when a flick-on from a corner looked to be creeping in at the back post.
There was a slight drop-off in energy in the second half, but while there were still plenty of frantic moments, they were limited to the middle third, rather than the two boxes.
With one eye on Watford on Sunday, Boubakary Soumare and Maddison were taken off around the hour mark, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Perez brought on.
But with little action on the pitch, the raucous Legia fans provided some in the stands, simultaneously setting off around 40 flares.
Moments later, City had their first good chance of the second period as Barnes used his pace to win a race to a Daka backheel, but then didn’t hit his shot cleanly.
He had a second bite at it, but from a tight angle, could only find the side-netting.
Eyes then turned to the stands once again as Legia fans and police clashed near the border with the East Stand, with projectiles thrown.
Officers were briefly overrun before Legia supporters fell back, and calm was restored after around 10 minutes.
As City made more changes, the game continued to lose its pace, but Rodgers’ men were comfortably on top and went close to a fourth late on as Dewsbury-Hall shot wide.
The whistle was blown and the three points were secured.
City are in pole position, but the job is not done yet, and while the Premier League matches take precedence for now, there is a mouth-watering clash with Napoli on the horizon.