Jamie Vardy broke his recent goal-drought to give Leicester an away goal and keep alive their hopes of reaching the last eight of the Champions League despite a narrow first-leg defeat in Sevilla.
The England international had gone nine games without scoring and was a peripheral figure for much of Wednesday’s game but sprang into life to finish Danny Drinkwater’s superb cross with 17 minutes remaining in Spain.
It was one of only two shots on target the Foxes produced during a game in which they were largely under the cosh and had trailed 2-0 in thanks to Pablo Sarabia’s header and a close-range finish from Joaquin Correa for Sevilla.
City’s other hero was Kasper Schmeichel, who saved a Correa penalty with the score at 0-0 and made a number of other good saves.
Sevilla also hit the post and bar had over 70% possession but will only take a slender lead to the King Power Stadium for the second leg on 14 March.
Leicester’s ‘turning point’?
Amidst Leicester’s dire domestic form, which has seen them lose 14 league games already, including their last five, and exit the FA Cup at the hands of League One Millwall, their Champions League displays have acted as timely reminders of last season’s stunning Premier League title success.
And there will have been none more timely than this.
Prior to the game, manager Claudio Ranieri suggested a positive display could act as a turning point for their season, and while they were outclassed for long periods in the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, the rediscovery of a stubbornness and spirit could prove crucial not just for this tie but the rest of the campaign.
The tie looked to be over after Correa’s calm close-range finish in the second half had doubled the lead given to the home side by Pablo Sarabia’s powerful, pinpoint header before the break.
But with less than a quarter of the game to go, Drinkwater produced Leicester’s one incisive attacking ball of the night to find Vardy, whose run into space behind his marker and first-time finish bore all the instinctual qualities he showed so often last season.
