Leicester continue revival under Shakespeare

Bayern Munich would have been understandable, too.

We said as a group, once the draw was made, we know who we have got and now let’s park that and concentrate on the Premier League’.

Both sides came out for the second period knowing that the match as a contest was pretty much over, but the Hammers did their best to try and get something from the contest as they managed to get another goal back.

The Foxes shocked the football world last season by winning the English title against the odds and according to captain Morgan, the dream of European glory is now closer to being a reality.

Leicester, of course, are on cloud nine after reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in midweek, but will be brought back down to Earth with a bump by a return to league action.

The problems are piling up for West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, whose side have lost their last three matches and could yet find themselves in the relegation scrap. And we can decide that the face of the team shall be German. Poor defending from the Hammers but Leicester won’t care one bit! This is a team playing soccer in a simple but highly effective way and specializing in making possible the impossible.

N’Zonzi might yet have taken the game to extra time after Schmeichel was penalized for catching Vitolo after the forward had dinked a shot past him.

It was all going Leicester’s way today as they progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over last year’s Europa League champs. He seemed to agree.

Manuel Lanzini pulled a goal back for the hosts in some style on 20 minutes with a wonderful free-kick but the Hammers’ vulnerable defence was exposed once again when Vardy reacted quickest to tap in from Mahrez’s corner on 38 minutes to give Leicester a commanding lead at the break.

No team has kept more clean sheets this season in the Champions League than Sevilla (5, same as Juventus). In this league, you can not afford to concede two goals in the first six or eight minutes.

Would Barcelona or Madrid or Bayern do the same? They were the only English side to do so this season.

“No secret. I think hard work, endeavour, resilience”, said Shakespeare, who has been promoted to take charge until the end of the season.

Nasri received a second yellow card while Vardy, an irritation all night to Sevilla, was cautioned. Shinji Okazaki was a hard-working link between midfield and attack. Mahrez showed flashes of his individual ability and set up the first goal for Morgan with a free kick.

Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, played from start to finish as Leicester continued a resurgence which began after Claudio Ranieri was sacked.

Under Shakespeare, they are playing in a manner created to unsettle any side who takes the measured approach – and they will do it backed by a 90-minute wall of sound.