Leicester v Club Brugge talking points

Leicester’s best opportunities came from set-pieces, but the connection was lacking and Watford had the better chances to restore its two-goal lead in the second half. We didn’t lose at Liverpool because of the formation, we could have played with 10 different formations but the attitude on the pitch was what lost it.

“I think until the end we had a chance to score because the team was alive”. Everyone wants to beat Leicester now and we just have to keep going.

“I’m just happy to be in the list”, he said. No one foresaw Claudio Ranieri’s team winning the Premier League last season – the pre-season odds on that happening were 5,000-1 – but its rapid fall from grace is taking many by surprise, too.

He said: “It’s never nice to be on zero points, overall we deserve more than that”.

He has scored just one goal from open play in his last 20 club games and the Algerian admitted performing in the Champions League brings the best out of him.

Qualification for the Champions League for the first time means those figures are likely to rise again this season. “I was waiting, not for a fantastic start [to the season] but not so bad”, the manager said.

The team now lies on 14th place on the league log with 12 points in 12 matches.

“There is no special game for me because all the games are important and I enjoy all the games”. “I saw the referee was very close to the incident”, Ranieri said. “The spirit is the same”.

Leicester could also become the first team since Malaga in 2012/13 to win their group in their first Champions League appearance.

“Am I anxious about relegation? No”.

It is proving a costly strategy, though, with Ranieri already fielding questions about potential relegation battles at his press conference on Monday.

“There are bigger players than me. But the hunger is still there and the determination”. “I don’t see the difference”.

Although they conceded 19, they scored 23, whereas this season they have managed to find the back of the net just 13 times.

Leicester began this Champions League campaign with a 3-0 away victory in Bruges.

A year later, they have 10 points less and are 14 behind the leaders, Liverpool.

Danny Drinkwater was back for the Foxes after pulling out of the England squad with a rib injury but failed to stop Roberto Pereyra for Watford’s second goal.

The Foxes’ historic 5000-1 success delivered a total economic output of £193m, generated taxes of £78m and supported 2,500 jobs, the report by EY for the club and the Premier League estimates.

If the FA decide there is a case to answer then Drinkwater could face a three-game ban for violent conduct.