2017-03-14



Premier League champions Leicester City defeated Sevilla 2-0 in their Champions League last-16 second leg clash to turn around a 2-1 deficit from their opening game and progress to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.

Leicester 2 Sevilla 0 (3-2)

Morgan on target on 27 minutes

Albrighton adds a second on 54 minutes

Nasri is dismissed on 74 minutes

Schmeichel saves 80th minute penalty

Match summary

Foxes captain Wes Morgan gave the hosts a shock lead at the King Power Stadium on 27 minutes before Mark Albrighton added a second on 54 minutes.

Samir Nasri was dismissed for a head butt on 74 minutes as Kasper Schmeichel denied Steven N'Zonzi from the penalty spot with 10 minutes of the match remaining.

Full report

It was a fairly even start to this tie, with Wilfred Ndidi coming close to latching on to a good early long throw from Christian Fuchs, but Nicolas Pareja was first to the ball.

Samir Nasri then forced a superb close-range one-handed save from Schmeichel inside the six-yard after rounding Morgan, having raced onto a Pablo Sarabia pass.

Danny Drinkwater's half-volley on 11 minutes was ultimately cleared by the Sevilla defence following a driven Marc Albrighton corner before a wild free-kick from Adil Rami that cleared the Leicester goal.

Pablo Sarabia fired wide of Schmeichel's near post after being set up by Wissam Ben Yedder, but it was the Foxes who would open the scoring through a lucky, close-range touch from Morgan, who happened to be at the right place at the back post to touch home Riyad Mahrez's 27th minute free-kick from the left-hand side.

Sevilla responded with some sustained pressure on the Leicester goal, but Ben Yedder could only fire into the side netting after being presented with the ball on 30 minutes, while Schmeichel had to alert to push a powerful cross-cum-shot from Gabriel Mercado over the top of his crossbar.

Vardy and Drinkwater both had poor efforts on goal ahead of a goalbound effort from Fuchs that took a deflection on its way to Sergio Rico.

Robert Huth did well to deny Ben Yedder from getting a shot away as Mercado swung in a good cross, as the half wore down, while Huth was forced to hack clear a Vitolo cross from the right byline in the opening minutes of the second half.

Sergio Escudero hit the underside of the crossbar with a cracker of a shot that caught out Schmeichel on 53 minutes, but while Shinji Okazaki saw his shot blocked en route to goal by Rami, Marc Albrighton placed his effort, on 54 minutes neatly in at the near post, on the right hand, side after Mahrez's cross deflected into his path.

Vardy was then unable to keep his 66th minute shot on target after being set up by another good ball from Mahrez, while Schmeichel pulled off a brilliant reaction save to deny Joaquin Correa after some good approach play from Sevilla.

The visitors were then dealt a massive blow as Nasri was dismissed for a second yellow card as both he and Vardy appeared to head butt each other, with the English striker throwing himself to the ground as a result.

Sevilla though were awarded a penalty after Schmeichel brought down Vitolo inside the box, but the keeper picked himself up to made a relatively comfortable stop from N'Zonzi.

Vardy had a chance to add a third goal on 86 minutes from an Albrighton cross, but he couldn't get the direction or power he wanted, before missing a glorious chance that he skied over the target following a quick Leicester break-away.

Mahrez had driven forward before feeding the striker with a perfect square pass, but Vardy opted for power and got his effort horribly wrong.

There were some nervy final few moments for the home side, but they ultimately held on for the win, and a place in the quarter-finals of this famous competition for the first time in their history.

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