Chance for Leicester to forget domestic woes against Sevilla

Sevilla midfielder Vicente Iborra says Leicester deserve respect in the sides’ Champions League last-16 tie because they won the Premier League last season.

The Premier League champions struggled to mount any serious attempts at the Sevilla goal, as the score remained 1-0 to the Spanish outfit at the break.

Sevilla, in contrast, are third in La Liga, two points behind second-placed Barcelona and three adrift of the leaders, Real Madrid whose 40-match unbeaten run they ended last month.

Claudio Ranieri knows that his side is the underdog in this match and knows the threat that Sevilla possess, but he insists that this match could be a turning point for them.

Sevilla is having quite the opposite season in terms of success.

Sevilla is faring well in its first season under head coach Jorge Sampaoli, and many expect its stout defense to muzzle the misfiring Foxes. They now sit one point and one place above the relegation zone and are in real danger of going from champions to chumps in the space of nine months. “But tomorrow we have to fight with our heads held high, chests out”. We need one match like this.

Sevilla, looking to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1958, signalled their early intent as Sarabia shot over while Christian Fuchs sparked panic when his header nearly caught out Schmeichel.

73′ – GOAL! Sevilla 2-1 Leicester City (Vardy) Well, who didn’t see that one coming!

Sevilla’s last game showed that they are also capable of grinding out victories, as they overcame a strong challenge from in-form Eibar to win 2-0, sealing the points with a breakaway goal set up by Jovetic and converted by perhaps their best player this season, versatile forward Vitolo. Steven N’Zonzi and Samir Nasri, a pair of French Premier League graduates, controlled the centre.

He said the players had been desperate to put in a good performance because of “how much we were hurting from what has happened this season” and said he believed “anything can happen” in the return leg.

“I think with the confidence we have with the boys at training ground, we are going to go there and play very well”.

Jamie Vardy has had only two shots on target in his first 424 minutes in the Champions League – none of them have found the back of the net.