Winning start to Europa League
IHEANACHO STEPS UP TO FILL VOID LEFT BY INJURED VARDY
THERE was no Jamie Vardy, but this time there was no problem for Leicester City as they started their Europa League campaign with a solid, if not always entirely comfortable, victory over Zorya Luhansk.
Kelechi Iheanacho stepped into the void again in place of Vardy, out with a calf problem, and this time showed why he is relied upon as the talisman’s deputy, setting up two goals and scoring once in a 3-0 victory.
After failing to find the net in any of their last three home games in all competitions, City had much greater joy against the visitors, who, to their credit, looked as though they could spring an upset in the first half-hour, with Zorya hoping to become the first Ukrainian side to ever win on English soil.
While it didn’t against West Ham nor Aston Villa, the quality of City’s attacking players shone through in their Group G encounter
For the first, Iheanacho helped James Maddison net in a goalmouth scramble, and then the Nigerian rolled the ball into Harvey Barnes’ path for the second on the stroke of half-time.
The third, in a much more comfortable second period, was rolled into the corner by Iheanacho, in front of a watching Vardy, after a mistake in the Zorya defence.
Scorer of the first, Maddison, was one of two changes to the City starting line-up, with Christian Fuchs also coming in.
In fact, the veteran left-back was just one of two players, along with Kasper Schmeichel, who also started the club’s last fixture in Europe, against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal three-and-a-half years ago.
Then, City were major underdogs. Last night, they were overwhelming favourites. Although their performance for the opening half-hour did not make that clear, with their less-favoured opponents more than matching Rodgers’ men.
Despite his later assists, Iheanacho spent the first 10 minutes failing to find his men as he tried to slip passes in behind, meaning there was not a clear-cut chance until midway through the half. And it fell to Zorya.
Maksym Lunov scampered down the right and crossed low for Vladyslav Kabayev sliding in at the far post.
But Kasper Schmeichel made himself big to block the effort and prevent City falling behind.
Zorya were in control to the extent that when City opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, it was against the run of play.
Dennis Praet’s tenacity in the midfield won the ball back for City, and Iheanacho sent Barnes away.
The England man cut in and curled to the top corner, only to see his effort bounce off the post.
Iheanacho, following in, controlled the rebound, but got it caught under his feet a few yards out, prompting a scramble.
But the Nigerian retained his composure even as he tripped inside the six-yard box, keeping the ball alive for Maddison to nip in and prod home.
City’s football was much more fluid from then, and chances came more frequently – Mykyta Shevchenko saving Barnes’ shot, which was not quite close enough to the bottom corner, before a superb sliding block from Vitaliy Vernydub shut out Praet.
But City were not totally comfortable.
Having saved City earlier in the half, Schmeichel then put them in trouble with a hopeless kick-out straight to the opposition.
With the Dane off his line, Dmytro Ivanisenia delicately lofted the ball goalwards from 25 yards, but it dropped just wide.
A second goal would put City in
control of the tie, and it came on the stroke of half-time. Fuchs fizzed a ball into Iheanacho’s feet, and the striker held up the ball, then delightfully back-heeled into the path of the sprinting Barnes.
He dashed through the heart of the defence, twice feinted a finish inside the box to put off Shevchenko, then dinked into the corner.
It seemed to dishearten the previously spirited visitors, and City dominated the second period.
Wesley Fofana, who again excelled, almost netted a first City goal as he showed off his monumental leap to reach Maddison’s corner, the Frenchman nodding just wide.
After two assists, Iheanacho scored City’s third, but was set-up by the opposition.
Ivanisenia passed straight to the striker, who swivelled neatly on the edge of the box, and finished right-footed.
City, helped by the introduction of the lively Cengiz Under, then turned on the style.
An intricate move down the right saw the Turk flick into the path of Praet, who shot straight at Shevchenko.
Then Castagne’s cut-back was planted into the side-netting by Iheanacho.
To save energy ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal, City then rotated their players, safe in the knowledge their European return was beginning with three points.