Leicester City’s ‘World Cup Final’

Champions League | Preview

14/03/17

Having struggled all season in the Premier League, delivering one of the worst title defences in the history of English football, Leicester City have one match left to keep their season interesting, for the right reasons.

Sevilla travel to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night for the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie with a narrow 2-1 lead. Many onlookers expected Jorge Sampaoli’s team to take a commanding lead in the first leg but having opened a two-goal cushion, Jamie Vardy popped up with an away goal for the Foxes and this gives Leicester hope they can make the quarter-final.

Much has happened since the first leg of this tie, with Claudio Ranieri being relieved of his duties, despite leading Leicester to the Premier League title last season. Following the Italian’s dismissal, Craig Shakespeare has been given the job until the end of the season, winning favour with the board by taking maximum points from the two home league games against Liverpool and Hull. While Leicester have only played two matches since their first leg, Sevilla have been busy and completed four matches, winning two and drawing two. The two draws have come in their most recent games, against teams they would have been expecting to beat in La Liga and as a result, Sevilla have allowed Real Madrid to remain comfortable at the top of the table.

Sampaoli was so disappointed with the draw against Leganes last weekend, he was moved to warn his players ahead of the match at Leicester.

'If we don't manage to improve the way we control games then Tuesday's game is going to be very difficult. Then again, we haven't lost for eight games, but we have to try and do much better than we have been doing recently,' said Sampaoli.

Perhaps the most telling element of that quote is the fact Sevilla haven’t lost in eight games and a draw in this match will be enough to see them progress. In the Champions League this season, Sevilla’s away record has been much improved on recent years and they have won one and drawn two of their three away matches, including a 0-0 in Turin against Juventus. Prior to this season, Sevilla suffered four straight defeats away from home in the Champions League, including a 2-1 defeat the last time they played in England in 2015, against Manchester City.

Sampaoli has warned his team about Leicester and how they will approach the game ‘like it’s a World cup final’ and this makes them dangerous opponents. The players appear to be happy now Shakespeare is in control of the club and with no match last weekend, they will be fresh and ready to give everything in the match. The Foxes won all three of their home group games in the Champions League, two of which were 1-0 and this score line would be enough to see them go through.

This tie has become much tighter than anticipated following the result in the first leg and the improved form of Leicester. We are yet to see a Champions League Round of 16 match go to extra-time and penalties this season but this could easily be the first.