GLORY NIGHT AS FOXES POWER PAST SEVILLA
Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton struggled to comprehend Leicester progressing into the Champions League quarter-finals after their goals helped the Foxes continue their incredible European adventure.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg of the last 16 encounter, the defending Premier League champions tipped the momentum in their favour when captain Morgan somewhat fortuitously turned in Riyad Mahrez’s 27th-minute cross.
There was nothing fortunate about Albrighton’s 55thminute goal, though, with the midfielder firing low past Sergio Rico, and Samir Nasri’s dismissal with a quarter of an hour remaining seemed to end Sevilla’s challenge.
But there was still time for late drama as Kasper Schmeichel was adjudged to have fouled Machin Vitolo in the area - but the Leicester custodian atoned for his error by guessing right and saving Steven Nzonzi’s penalty.
That sealed a 2-0 win on the night and a famous 3-2 victory on aggregate over the reigning Europa League champions at a rocking King Power Stadium.
Morgan said: “Incredible, I can’t quite believe it. We’re newcomers in the Champions League, we didn’t expect to get this far and here weare.
“I’m not sure this is ever going to happen again, but wedidit.Wediditandwe proved a lot of people wrong. Itwasabiggameforusand a big night for everyone involved with Leicester and we’ve pulled off the impossible again.”
Albrighton added: “I’m a bit lost for words, what a night! I think we thoroughly deserved the victory, we pressed them from the first whistle to the last and rode our luck at times, defended triumphantly and to get the two goals against such a good team and keep a clean sheet is fantastic for us.”
Morgan admitted he did not know too much about his goal, saying: “I didn’t see the ball come in, I just bundled it in. But I was in the right place at the right time, I suppose, and I’m just happy it went over the line.”
Leicester join European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Barcelona and Re- al Madrid as the confirmed sides in the last eight.
A glamour tie is guaranteed but Morgan said: “We’ll just take whoever comes.
“We’ll enjoy the moment, it’s fantastic night for Leicester. Let’s dust ourselves down, we’ve still got to concentrate on the league. But we need to enjoy right now.”
Craig Shakespeare, overseeing his first game in fulltime charge of Leicester, was delighted with how his side implemented an attacking game-plan designed to unsettle Sevilla.
He said: “The idea was to make it as uncomfortable as we could for Sevilla in the first 15 minutes and play on the front foot.
“I thought we set the game-plan out tremendously and, of course, goals change games. Wes getting the first one put us in the driving seat. I think we drove forward from there.
“Of course, we rode our luck at times, you have to in any football game, but I thought the character showed today was immense.”