Rodgers fumes after Foxes are sent packing
TOM COLLOMOSSE at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium
BRENDAN RODGERS suffered a night of agony after defeat at Napoli and a late missed penalty in Poland dumped Leicester into the wasteland of the Europa Conference League.
There will be no European glamour tie with Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund for Covid-hit Leicester to look forward to after this loss in Italy ended their hopes of advancing in the Europa League, with the Foxes betrayed again by their awful defensive work.
And yet they might still have got away with it. In the seventh minute of stoppage-time, Legia Warsaw forward Tomas Pekhart missed a penalty against Spartak Moscow that would have made the score 1-1 and sent Leicester through in second place in Group C.
‘Our defending has not been good enough,’ said Rodgers, whose side have kept only three clean sheets in 24 games. ‘We lacked determination off the ball to stop them scoring.
‘When you are conceding like we have been, a bit of panic sets in with your defending. You have to defend well as you can’t score three or four goals a game.’
On the events in Warsaw, Rodgers said: ‘When I found out, I had to be picked up off the floor. But in the end it doesn’t matter. You have to do your own job.’
Leicester wasted chances to wrap up qualification before now and here they were without seven players amid an outbreak of Covid-19 at the club. In front of only 13,000 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, and against a backdrop of thunder, lightning and regular downpours, Jamie Vardy started his first game in the competition this term.
Napoli took the lead in the fourth minute, Adam Ounas’ shot going through the legs of Caglar Soyuncu and into the net.
When Elif Elmas tapped in a second on 24 minutes, that looked to be it for Leicester. Yet they responded quickly, Jonny Evans firing in the loose ball after a James Maddison free-kick was not cleared. They were level six minutes later when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sent a left-foot volley into the corner from 20 yards.
Napoli regained the lead when Elmas struck again from an Giovanni di Lorenzo cross.
Maddison should have replied when Di Lorenzo presented him with the ball eight yards out yet he could only hit the post.
Leicester pushed for an equaliser but Dewsbury-Hall lost his footing from close range and Vardy also headed over. Those errors were the perfect metaphor for Leicester’s campaign.
WEST HAM lost their unbeaten record in the Europa League as they lost 1-0 at home to Dinamo Zagreb.
Having secured top spot in Group H, David Moyes named a side that included five academy prospects under 20 years old.
With the Croatians scrapping to stay in the competiton, a thirdminute goal from Mislav Orsic was enough to seal the points, and second place for Dinamo.