LEICESTER ARE EURO STARS
Leicester on the march in Europe
In three Champions League outings, Leicester City have done what they could not achieve in eight Premier League matches: three wins, nine points.
Such has been the Jekyll and Hyde nature to their season. With this victory over Copenhagen, Claudio Ranieri’s team now stand on the brink of reaching the knockout stages at their first attempt.
What a wonderful achievement that would be and proof in neon lights of why Ranieri is correct to prioritise this competition.
Leicester achieved a miracle last season when winning the domestic title.
Given that a repeat was never under serious consideration, surely claiming a place alongside the continent’s 16 finest sides is a magnificent follow-up.
While they look vulnerable in the Premier League, Leicester have now gone 270 minutes in Europe without conceding.
Here they faced opponents of decent heritage. Copenhagen, the Danish champions, were unbeaten in 23 games before last night, but were still edged out by Leicester.
Ranieri’s side have found a rhythm in the Champions League that other debutants could only wish for.
Leicester went back to the future to break the deadlock, reverting to the tactics that won them the Premier League title, but with new personnel.
Ranieri recently hailed Jamie Vardy, Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez as the future of the club, and while they failed to click for large parts of the first half, the trio combined to beautiful effect five minutes before the interval.
Leicester had been a little hesitant to press Copenhagen in their own half — despite this work being a trademark of last season — but pushed forward in unison as Christian Fuchs grabbed back possession and fed Danny Drinkwater.
The midfielder — a study in perpetual motion all night — found Vardy in rare space on the left and he produced a high, looping cross that at first looked too deep.
But Slimani followed the trajectory, peeled away behind Erik Johansson and headed the ball square. Mahrez had pounced on a momentary lapse in concentration in the Danish defence to ghost into space. His deft finish from close range was a delight.
The stadium had lift off, with home fans chanting: ‘Who are you?’ back at those travelling fans who had sung the same before kick-off.
But Copenhagen are forging a reputation in this season’s Champions League, having gone eight games undefeated from the second qualifying round prior to last night.
‘That was a really stern test,’ admitted Leicester’s captain Wes Morgan. ‘Copenhagen were very physical, always in our faces, with two banks of four and tough to break down.
‘The atmosphere was just unbelievable. It was fantastic to play in — and the Copenhagen fans added to that. These are the nights that you live for.’
The Danes nearly pulled level before half-time. In the 43rd minute, Youssef Toutouh took aim from 25 yards and hit a shot that ballooned up via a deflection off Morgan, then dipped wickedly — but only on to the roof of Kasper Schmeichel’s net.
From the resulting corner, Andreas Cornelius escaped the attentions of Robert Huth to steer a header down and narrowly past the far post.
At one point, Ranieri wheeled away in frustration as a chance to hit on the counter-attack went backwards.
In the 64th minute, Mahrez seized on a high ball to dribble into the area but his shot was blocked.
There were Leicester cheers three minutes later when Marc Albrighton’s low cross was bundled home at the second attempt by Slimani.
The flag was raised for offside, incorrectly as replays showed.
Schmeichel then produced a stunning save in the 90th minute. Cornelius connected well from 10 yards, but Schmeichel adjusted superbly and dived right, flinging out a strong wrist to somehow block the ball.