Leicester equaliser keeps Roma tie in the balance.

Leicester City 1:1 AS Roma

A second half own goal conceded by Roma, saw City’s first ever European semi-final all square at 1-1 after the first leg at the KPS on Thursday night.

Brendan Rodgers made four changes to his side, bringing in Vardy, Ricardo, Evans and Albrighton as the club attempted to reach a European final for the first time in their history.
City got off to a lively start against the backdrop of loud noise from both home and away fans, that had been cranked up by Union FS tifo display and a rendition of ‘When You’re Smiling’ over the PA that should be a permanent feature.
Vardy hustled Smalling out of possession, but his low cross was blocked by Zaniolo. City then won a couple of corners, before Maddison had two shots blocked from the edge of the area.
But for all City’s early dominance, it was Roma who took a 15th minute lead. The Italian side broke upfield, Zalewski raced down the left and cut inside Ricardo, before playing a perfect ball into the path of Pellegrini who jabbed the ball through Schmeichel’s legs.
Five minutes later Rodgers was forced into his first change of the night when Castagne had to retire with a shoulder injury, Justin replacing him.
City continued to have around 70% possession, but Jose Mourinho’s side were happy to sit back and invite them to find a way through a solid defence. Lookman had a fierce shot blocked by Smalling, and then Justin nodded wide at the far post from a well-delivered Albrighton corner.
Maddison lifted a curling effort over the bar before Lookman forced a good save from Rui Patrício.
Maddison sent a free-kick into the wall and fired another shot over as City began to show a hint of desperation. Roma took the lead down the tunnel with them at the break.

City’s quest to level the tie continued in the second half and Lookman should have done better with a free header from an Albrighton corner but sent it over. Dewsbury-Hall then fired a shot high and wide.
Something needed to change and Rodgers made a double-substitution in the 62nd minute, bringing on Barnes and Iheanacho for Albrighton and Lookman. This quickly paid dividends with City levelling the tie in the 66th minute. Barnes, bringing an injection of energy into the forward play, raced into the area and played a ball off Iheanacho before firing the ball across the face of goal. Mancini, under severe pressure from Lookman, diverted the ball into his own net.
City looked the more likely scorers for the remainder of the game, with Evans and Fofana coping comfortably with the occasional Roma attack. But they couldn’t find a way through.
Ricardo raced down the right and slipped a ball inside to Maddison, but by the time he made room for a shot it looped up off a defender. It reached Iheanacho at the far post but he sent his header onto the roof of the net. Tielemans then robbed possession and set up Iheanacho, but his low shot went inches wide of the left hand post.
Schmeichel had been a spectator for most of the game, but reacted well to save a deflected Oliveira with ten minutes remaining.
Rodgers made his fourth change, bringing on Pérez for Lookman, but Roma’s defence was well bedded-in and play was broken up by some dubious injuries.
All-square for the second leg in Rome, but on this showing Roma were nothing to be afraid of.

Brendan Rodgers summed up: “I thought we played ever so well, really dominated the game, very pleased with the performance. You want to start well, bring your tempo and intensity into the game. The only thing missing was the final bit of quality in the final third.”

Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Fofana, Evans, Castagne (Justin 21), Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Albrighton (Barnes 63), Vardy (Iheanacho 62), Lookman (Pérez 84).
Substitutes: Justin, Söyüncü, Barnes, Ward, Amartey, Choudhury, Vestergaard, Daka, Thomas, Soumaré.
Roma: Rui Patrício, Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez da Silva, Karsdorp, Mkhitaryan (Veretout 57), Cristante, Pellegrini (Afena-Gyan 85), Zalewski (Viña 85), Zaniolo (Oliveira 69), Abraham.
Substitutes: Pérez, Shomurodov, Maitland-Niles, Kumbulla, Spinazzola, Bove, Cerântula Fuzato, El Shaarawy.
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande. Attendance: 31,659.

Early gift costs Leicester at Old Trafford

Manchester United 2:1 Leicester City

An early penalty presented United with a 3rd minute lead as City lost 2-1 at Old Trafford on Friday night in the Premier League’s opening game..

Claude Puel started with Maguire, but his England team-mate only had a place on the bench, with Iheanacho up front. Possibly the biggest surprise was Amartey at right back with Ricardo right midfield.
And it was Amartey who gifted United the lead soon after kick off. A Sanchez shot was blocked by Morgan, and as the deflection went past Amartey he needlessly stuck out an arm. Pogba did a comedy run-up to the penalty spot before lashing the ball into the top right hand corner, giving Schmeichel no chance even though he guessed right.
However, after this rocky start to the season City settled into a passing rhythm that saw them dominating possession for much of the first half.
Maddison delivered a good free-kick into the area, which Pogba cleared, Ndidi fired a low long-range effort straight at de Gea and then Iheanacho sent an angled shot narrowly wide, but was marginally offside.
In the 28th minute Maddison was denied a debut goal when de Gea brilliantly saved his angled half-volley from 12 yards. Soon after Ricardo’s 30-yarder struck Pogba and looped up over the bar. Gray then sent Iheanacho in on goal, but he couldn’t quite shake off the attentions of Lindelof who snubbed the chance out.
Only late in the half did Schmeichel have anything to do, making comfortable saves from Pogba and Shaw.
After that early set-back City had controlled the game, without finding that cutting edge needed to get past de Gea.

The second half was more even, though there were few chances at either end.    Schmeichel fielded a Darmian shot at the second attempt and de Gea had to palm away a Chilwell cross. But a change was needed, and Puel made a double substitution in the 63rd minute, bringing Vardy and Ghezzal on for Amartey and Maddision.
Mata had a shot deflected wide by Morgan’s arm and was furious to see a goal kick awarded.
City had a great chance in the 76th minute when Vardy’s persistence saw him rob Shaw of the ball on the byline, before delivering a low cross to the near-post. Although Gray got a foot to it, de Gea made another fine save to deny City again.
Two minutes later substitute Lukaku had the goal at his mercy 10 yards out, but Schmeichel advanced swiftly and blocked the shot with his legs.
With ten minutes remaining Puel brought Silva on for Iborra as City chased the game, but it was soon out of their reach.
In the 83rd minute Shaw ran into a yawning space on the left side of the penalty area. His first touch was poor but lucky and it took him round Ricardo, before he jabbed the ball across Schmeichel and into the net.
City pressed forward in the closing stages, but Vardy misconnected with a volley sending it way over the bar.
He did start the season with a goal, however, as the game went into time-added-on.
A Ricardo cross from the right evaded everyone in the area and struck the left hand post, where Vardy was rewarded for following it up and nodded home from a yard out.
A late corner, which Schmeichel came up for, caused some late tension, but it was headed wide and City had kicked off 2018-19 with a defeat.

It had been an encouraging display by City, but for two weak moments in defence not enough presence up front, and Claude Puel was happy enough:  “The first half with all the chances we could have, we have to perform and to score and to come back into the game. We didn’t find the good clinical edge in this moment but it was a very good first half, good intensity in the play, good pressing, good quality and I was happy about the performance.”

United: De Gea, Darmian, Bailly, Lindelöf, Shaw, Fred (McTominay 76), Pereira, Pogba (Fellaini 84), Mata, Rashford, (Lukaku 67), Sánchez.
Substitutes: Martial, Smalling, Grant, Young.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Amartey (Ghezzal 63), Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Adrien Silva (Iborra 80), Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, Maddison (Vardy 63), Gray, Iheanacho.
Substitutes: Evans, Albrighton, Ward, Fuchs.

Referee: Andre Marriner. Attendance: 74,439.

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Leicester edged out by United in Wembley curtain-raiser

Leicester City 1:2 Manchester United

Ten of thousands of City fans descended on Wembley for the first time since 2000, for the traditional League Champions v FA Cup Winners season opener, but City lost out in a tight encounter when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed home a late winner for United…

Claudio Ranieri started with a line-up very similar to last season’s first choice side, with King in for the departed Kanté, and City were first to mount an attack in the 5th minute.
Vardy raced into the penalty area from the left, and got past Bailly before Blind produced a timely tackle.
United’s first chance came five minutes later when Martial beat Simpson down the left but his angled shot found the side-netting. A strong spell for United then saw a Rooney header and Fellaini half-volley go straight at Schmeichel.
In the 20th minute City had two near-misses in rapid succession. Vardy set up Okazaki for a curling shot that was deflected inches wide of the post. From the corner the Japanese international flicked a header onto the crossbar.
City were on top now and Bailly was a busy man, tackling Vardy before he could loose a shot off; and getting to a corner before Morgan.

But with 32 minutes on the clock, United took the lead against the run of play, with a fine effort from former City loanee Lingard.
He hared through the middle of the City defence, evading three challenges before a neat finish over the advancing Schmeichel.
There was a quiet spell up to the break, as City attempted to overcome their setback. King nodded a corner wide, and Simpson went into the referee’s book for a blatant block on Rooney. And that was it for the first half.

Claudio Ranieri made a couple of changes for the second half with Gray and Musa on for Okazaki and Albrighton, and City started the brighter with Musa going on a trademark threatening run down the middle before being thwarted by the impressive Bailly.
City continued to press forward and were level seven minutes into the second half.
Good work from Musa down the left saw him feed a ball into the centre, but Fellaini intercepted with a back pass intended for De Gea. However, the Belgian only succeeded in playing a perfect through ball for Vardy, who took full advantage, rounding the keeper and finding the net from a tight angle.
The blue half of Wembley was in raptures…

There was a subdued spell of play for a while, which saw Gray deliver a weak strike into De Gea’s arms, and little else.
A flurry of subs arrived in the 62nd minute with Mendy and Hernandez on for King and Simpson, and Mata replacing the limping Lingard.
United were on top at this stage, though City threatened with a Drinkwater free-kick that almost caught De Gea out, and  a Musa back-header from close in that landed on the top of the net.
However, it was United who summoned a winner in the 83rd minute, with Ibrahimovic capping an anonymous performance with a winning goal. Valencia crossed from the right, and Ibrahimovic rose above Morgan, to nod the ball home via the right hand post.

City pressed for an equaliser and Schmeichel camped himself in the opposition penalty area for a series of corners and Hernandez long-throws, but City couldn’t find a way through and it was United who lifted the Community Shield.

After a glamorous pre-season programme that clocked up the air miles, the serious business begins at Hull next Saturday.

Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson (Hernandez 62), Huth (Ulloa 89), Morgan, Fuchs (Schlupp 79), Drinkwater, King (Mendy 62), Albrighton (Gray 46), Mahrez, Okazaki (Musa 46), Vardy.
Subs Not Used: Zieler.
United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw (Rojo 69), Carrick (Herrera 61), Fellaini, Lingard (Mata 64 (Mkhitaryan 90)), Rooney (Schneiderlin 87), Martial (Rashford 69), Ibrahimović.
Subs Not Used: Romero.

Referee: Craig Pawson. Attendance: 85,437. 

PHOTOS: Simon Kimber
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Leicester beat Champions to regain top spot

Leicester City 2:1 Chelsea

Goals from Vardy and Mahrez saw City topping the Premier League table again with a 2-1 victory over champions Chelsea at the KPS on Monday night….
Claudio Ranieri made no changes to the side that won at Swansea for this much-anticipated meeting, though he was forced into one after just 16 minutes.
Mahrez slipped past two markers before testing Courtois with a low shot soon after kick off and then Morgan blocked a dangerous Hazard effort.
But then Drinkwater appeared to pull his hamstring and after a fruitless attempt to carry on he was replaced by King.
This didn’t have an effect on City who were the better side throughout the first half. Mahrez forced another save from Courtois and then Kanté curled an effort narrowly over from the edge of the area.

City deservedly took the lead in the 34th minute, Mahrez crossed from the right and Vardy nipped in like a greyhound between Zouma and Terry for a finish from close in past Courtois. It was his 15th of th eseason, ending his goal drought of one game.
If defending corners has been City’s Achilles heel this season they dealt with five of them in the first half, though Matic did get his head to a Willian flag kick and brushed the top of Schmeichel’s crossbar.
City managed to preserve their lead to half-time, something they didn’t manage against Manchester United.

Even better, City extended their lead just three minutes into the second half.
Albrighton saw Mahrez unmarked and picked him out with a long cross. The Algerian international changed direction several times and despite the close attention of Azpilicueta, half a yard was all he needed to curl an incredible unstoppable shot round Courtois and into the net.
An increasingly agitated Jose Mourinho then replaced Terry with Fàbregas and three at the back helped Chelsea regain some ground in midfield.
This led to their best spell around the hour, though their most clear-cut chance – Costa in a one on one with Schmeichel – saw the City keeper pull off a fine block. That did nothing to dispel the little black cloud above Costa’s head.
Simpson blocked a Pedro shot and then Ivanović was twice denied by Fuchs after another Chelsea corner.

Chelsea finally made a breakthrough with 13 minutes remaining when Rémy got his head to a Pedro cross to beat Schmeichel from close range, and this made for a nervy closing spell.
Goalscorers Vardy and Mahrez were replaced by Inler and Okazaki, and City rallied well, with Pedro’s narrowly wide shot being the most alarming moment.
At the other end Albrighton capped a fine performance with a run and shot that whistled past the post.
After five minutes of time added on the final whistle brought scenes of utter delight as City reclaimed top spot with a win over the Champions.

Claudio Ranieri looked delighted, but was keeping his feet firmly on the ground: “For our fans we are top of the league, for my players we need another five points. Don’t laugh. It’s true…”

Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs, Mahrez (Inler 82), Kanté, Drinkwater (King 16), Albrighton, Ulloa, Vardy (Okazaki 88). Subs Not Used: Dyer, Wasilewski, Benalouane, Schwarzer.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanović, Zouma, Terry (Fàbregas 53), Azpilicueta, Ramires, Oscar (Rémy 65), Hazard (Pedro 31), Matić, Willian, Diego Costa. Subs Not Used: Begović, Mikel, Kenedy, Cahill.

Referee: M Clattenburg. Attendance: 32,054.

ALL PHOTOS: Simon Kimber. 

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Chelsea overcome brave Leicester resistance

Chelsea 2:0 Leicester City

City were a match for one of Europe’s best sides for just over an hour at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, before goals from Costa and Hazard sealed a 2-0 win for Chelsea…

Nigel Pearson brought Hammond in for Drinkwater and Schlupp for Knockaert and, although this line-up could be described an understrength, City looked undaunted by this visit to the title favourites.
The early chances went to the home side, Oscar had a shot blocked by Morgan, and then Cahill had two efforts blocked by red shirts that were giving their hosts very little breathing space.
Schurrle then headed a Hazard cross over, before City broke upfield.

Mahrez saw a fierce shot beaten away by Courtois and then Schlupp had an effort deflected wide.

At the other end Costa had a curling shot blocked by Morgan, and City could be well pleased with their efforts as the half-time whistle heralded a goalless half.

Mourinho had apparently given his side something of a ‘pep-talk’ at the break and they appeared to have moved up a gear.
Oscar fired against the post, and then Ivanovic was denied by a superb Schmeichel save as City were stretched for the first time.

But they should have taken the lead five minutes later when a speedy breakaway set up Nugent in a one-on-one with keeper Courtois, but the Belgian keeper managed to block with his legs.

Schurrle then went close with a curler, before Schmeichel denied Ivanovic again this time tipping away a long-range shot.

City were still looking dangerous on the break but Courtois again saved from Nugent after last year’s leading scorer had been set up by Mahrez.

As play swung from one end of the field to the other Fabregas then forced another save from Schmeichel who tipped his attempted chip over the bar.

However, Chelsea began to turn the screw further and City’s resistance was broken in the 62nd minute.
In a busy penalty area Costa guided home from close range after Ivanovic’s low cross made it across the goalmouth.

City stuck to their task, and Pearson brought on Albrigthton and Taylor-Fletcher for Mahrez and Hammond, but Chelsea went further ahead in the 77th minute. Fabregas sending Hazard through for a run and shot beyond Schmeichel’s reach.

Schmeichel then made another fine save from Willian to keep the scoreline at respectable levels.

It was a predictable enough defeat against Chelsea’s Megastars, but City fans could take great pride in their side’s performance, which boded very well for the rest of the season.
Nigel Pearson told Sky Sports: “We are aware of the fact that when chances have come our way, it’s not quite happened for us. But the encouraging thing is that we are being creative. I think today we have put them under quite a bit of pressure and even when they started to take a bit of control in the second half, we still had our moments. There are positives to take from today, certainly.”

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Schurrle (Ramires 64), Oscar (Willian 70), Hazard, Costa (Drogba 79). Subs: Cech, Zouma, Luis, Mikel.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky, Mahrez (Albrighton 68), Hammond (Taylor-Fletcher 72), King, Schlupp, Nugent, Ulloa (Wood 84) Subs: Hamer, Hopper, Knockaert, Wasilewski.

Referee: Lee Mason. ATTENDANCE: 41,604.

All photos: Simon Kimber.

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