Full-time thoughts
Much as they did against Porto, Leicester showed real character in earning that victory. For large parts of that match Copenhagen hogged the ball but Leicester didn’t panic and made the most of their few moments of quality. Leicester look a much better proposition with Mahrez and Slimani in the team. Perhaps Ranieri will use them more often in the Premier League now that they can see the last 16 just over the horizon.
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Full-time: Leicester 1-0 Copenhagen
Peep! And that’s that. Leicester have nine points thanks to their goalkeeper’s wonderful save in the 90th minute. They have taken more points from three Champions League games than they have taken from eight Premier League ones.
90+1 min: Copenhagen’s unbeaten run looks to be coming to an end. They’re trying to work the ball forwards but Leicester are back in numbers and closing down like terriers.
90 min: What an incredible save by Schmeichel! Santander nips the ball past Simpson on the left and bursts into the box. He looks up and pulls a low cross back to Cornelius, who adjusts his body gracefully and fizzes a sidefooted shot at the corner, only to see Denmark’s Copenhagen-born No1 arch his back and throw out an arm to deflect the ball away. That’s an incredible stop.
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87 min: Ulloa is on for Slimani, who has been a menacing presence up front tonight. He’ll be very happy with his assist too.
85 min: Santander heads over from six yards after a cross from the right. Simpson did ever so well to jump with the big forward and put him off. Ankersen is then replaced by Gregus. The corner is drilled in and a free-kick is given for some pushing among a mass squabble of arms and legs.
84 min: Okazaki is on for Vardy. His first action is to fall over as the ball is fizzed into him from Fuchs.
81 min: Falk goes on a little jet-heeled run into the box, knocking the ball past Fuchs and gathering it on the other side before winning a corner. He looks like a bag of tricks. The corner doesn’t beat the first man. A moment later Kvist drills one low at goal but Schmeichel saves comfortably.
79 min: Fuchs is given a yellow card for a filthy bit of cynicism. He tripped Falk as he was scampering towards the edge of the area following a fine flick from Kvist. Good foul to be fair.
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77 min: Huth falls over while involved in a WWE-style wrestling match with Cornelius in the box. He’s lucky to get a free-kick because he tried, but failed, to lean into the attacker who had turned him and would have been in on goal.
75 min: King zips a pass through to Slimani, who is one on one with Johansen as he races into the box, only to land on his tail after slipping on the wet turf as he attempts to twist inside his marker.
73 min: Toutouh tries to escape Simpson down the left wing but the full-back times a slide tackle perfectly and wins back possession. Porto are now drawing 1-1 with Brugge. That means Leicester would need a Devon Loch-style finish to their group games not to qualify if the score remains 1-0 here.
71 min: Charles Antaki is back with news from Lisbon that may make Arsenal fans sit up and take notice. “Joel Campbell - remember him? - has just come on for Sporting, at the point where a free-kick has been given for a backpass in the Dortmund box. He doesn’t get to take it, but César whacks it though the wall. Sporting 1 - Dortmund 2. The commentator has creditably refrained from saying “Game ON!”
69 min: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Copenhagen are keeping the ball but it’s all very sterile.
65 min: Falk is on for Verbic. Meanwhile, Slimani has put the ball into the back of the net only to have it scrubbed off for being offside. It was a tight call but a wrong one. He was level. It followed a fantastic reverse pass on the left wing from Fuchs to Albrighton, who whipped in a low cross to Slimani. His first effort was saved, his second went in, not that it mattered in the end.
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64 min: The corner comes to nowt but Morgan wins back possession and feeds Mahrez. He tries to release Albrighton down the wing but the midfielder would have to have four legs, some whiskers and spots to get on to that pass, such was its pace.
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62 min: Johansen doesn’t deal with a long ball and nods a weak header out to Mahrez as he fell backwards. The Leicester playmaker jinks inside once, twice and then cocks his left foot, but his shot is dragged and cleared easily. Leicester are on it now though. They win back possession and earn a corner.
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59 min: Copenhagen are getting picked off in midfield more than they did in the first half. That’s down to the diligent work of Drinkwater and King. The Danes have a giant up front. You would think they might just John Beck it up to him once in a while.
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56 min: Mahrez fizzes a pass into the inside-right channel for Slimani, who races on to it and looks to twist inside Johansson, but the big defender stands up dutifully and brilliantly shepherds Slimani away to the corner where he can do no harm.
54 min: Augustinsson sends an outswinger into the box that Leicester look far from convincing in dealing with. A jabbed foot sends the ball out to Jorgensen, who hits a daisy-cutter back into the box that is flicked into Schmeichel’s grateful gloves.
53 min: Huth heads clear – badly – landing the ball at Verbic’s feet, who plays in Toutouh down the inside-left channel. He races into the box and shoots at goal only for it to be deflected out for a corner. That was a dreadful header by Huth.
51 min: Jinkin’ Danny Drinkwater is sent scampering to the touchline by a clever little flick over his shoulder by Vardy but it’s just a little too fast for the midfielder to reach. Copenhagen haven’t got anything going this half. Leicester are looking like the home side at last.
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48 min: What a lovely touch from Mahrez. He lets the ball bounce once in front of him and then stabs a razor-sharp pass through to the onrushing King in the penalty area. He shows neat feet himself, throwing his shoulder before pulling a cross back towards Slimani in the box. But a Copenhagen defender, at full stretch, clears the danger.
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46 min: It’s a fast start by Leicester. Copenhagen don’t deal with a ball clipped down the wing to Vardy. He picks it up, slides the ball square to Mahrez, whose first-time shot ends up somewhere near Hinckley.
45 min: We’re back under way. Will Leicester play with a little more confidence here?
“Yet again we see Leicester give up a gilt-edged chance from a corner,” writes Kári Tulinius, referring to that Cornelius header before half-time. “What happened to the defence over the summer? Given how assured they were dealing with crosses last year, it’s just weird. Maybe they’re distracted by the flapping corner flags.”
Here’s some half-time viewing – or you could perhaps bookmark it and watch it in your own time later on. It’s very good.
Half-time: Leicester 1-0 Copenhagen
45 min: Santander falls to the turf after some contact from Morgan. It was a foul but the referee chooses not to penalise Leicester’s captain, who appears to be back to normal after his earlier injury scare. Peep, And that’s that.
43 min: Copenhagen are stung into action. Toutouh curls a shot towards the top corner but it’s a couple of inches over and was covered by Schmeichel in any case. And then Augustinsson whips a corner into Cornelius, who takes a step back and heads down at the far corner under little pressure from eight yards. But the ball, mercifully for Leicester, is an inch the wrong side of Schmeichel’s right-hand post. It’s the kind of chance the giant striker has been finishing for fun in the Danish league. It should have been 1-1.
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42 min: That move was almost identical to one Leicester tried after 15 minutes. It must be a training ground routine.
Goal! Leicester 1-0 Copenhagen (Mahrez 40)
Well, well, well. Leicester’s key players combine to give the home side the lead. Fuchs rolls a ball out to Vardy on the left. He takes one touch and floats a cross to the back post, where Slimani leaps and heads back into the six-yard box for Mahrez to ghost in and cleverly flick the ball home with the outside of his left foot. That’s a very well worked goal.
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39 min: Fuchs curls a dangerous ball in but Olsen punches clear brilliantly.
37 min: Albrighton drives a 40-yard right-footed ball through a hole in the Copenhagen defence. I’m not sure he meant that but Vardy races on to anyway and is fouled just as he gains possession. Free-kick on the left in a dangerous position …
36 min: Thomas Delaney slides in to stop Albrighton from scuttling up the left wing. He’s probably been the best player on the pitch tonight. That’s not saying much but he just oozes authority.
34 min: Charles Antaki is keeping his eyes on Sporting v Dortmund so you don’t have to. “I can’t claim to be anywhere more exotic than my sofa, but I can report that, apart from Aubameyang scoring and looking lively, there is a Liverpool v Man U. level of nothing happening in the Sporting-Dortmund match so far. Not even the excitement of a Rooney waiting to come on.”
32 min: Albrighton nods the ball down to Vardy on the edge of the box. The Leicester striker’s eyes light up as he shapes to volley at goal … but in keeping with his form of late, he shins it. The ball rolls through harmlessly to Olsen.
31 min: After a promising start this has become a bit of an ugly game. Very bitty. Where’s Mahrez?
28 min: Huth wins a header by holding his ground behind Santander, who crumples to the turf holding his cheek. It looks like he’s making a meal of it but he has just recovered from a broken cheekbone so perhaps he felt a twinge of pain from that. He receives an ice pack on it and soon gets back into action.
25 min: There’s a battle for midfield supremacy going on here. Drinkwater and King are scurrying around trying to win that battle. Eventually, Santander crunches into Drinkwater and gives away a free-kick. The possession figures show Copenhagen are very much dominating but I’d say the game is evening out now. Leicester are finding their feet and they needn’t worry about not having loads of the ball. It didn’t bother them too much last season.
22 min: It’s swung in deep and cleared. Copenhagen’s Toutouh is proving difficult to pick up. He’s operating very well in between Leicester’s defence and midfield and linking play up well. If he was a tough player and I managed him there’d be a joke in there somewhere.
21 min: Morgan throws his aching and hulking frame in the way of an Augustinsson cross and gives away a corner. The same player will take it …
20 min: Our correspondent in Brugge (or Brussels but let’s not dwell on that), writes: “Possen just scored for Brugge and celebrated with a traditional jump and punch, then did a heart before sliding Riise-like on his knees but without showing his abs. It went on quite a while.”
18 min: This is much better from Leicester. Direct but accurate. Vardy gets on to another lofted pass forwards and takes little time in cracking a shot at goal. It’s deflected wide for a corner. Morgan, who is still moving awkwardly, tries to hurl himself at the ball into the box but he can’t connect.
15 min: Another long ball from Leicester. This time it proves successful, though, with Vardy racing down the left wing to pick up possession and cut inside towards the box. He spies Mahrez on the back post and picks him out. Mahrez hooks a cross back towards Slimani, but a defender nods it out only as far as Vardy, whose cross back in is plucked out of the air by Olsen.
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14 min: Drinkwater arrows a ball forwards towards Vardy, who is looking to play off the shoulder of Johansson, but the pass picks up pace on the greasy turf and runs through to Olsen.
13 min: Leicester briefly win back possession but Copenhagen show they have a pressing game to match their possession one, and within moments the ball is back with them. There are a few groans from the Leicester fans. This is proving frustrating. Meanwhile in Brugge, Porto are 1-0 down. Well, that was hardly expected.
11 min: Copenhagen are running the show. Kvist and Delaney are popping little passes around in midfield for fun. They’re not rushing the final ball but this is very cool and composed from the Danes.
7 min: Fuchs hurries a clearance and Delaney picks up possession for Copenhagen. That was sloppy. Augustinsson is set free on the left. He hooks in a low cross with the ball bouncing up and Morgan stretches to clear but grabs his back in pain. It looks like his night might be over. He’s moving very awkwardly. He may try to run it off but Ranieri looks worried.
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5 min: Copenhagen are growing in confidence. They’re looking much more composed in possession than Leicester. They finally work a cross in from the left that has Huth and Morgan worried. They both leap and collide as they try to get above Cornelius, which leads to a Copenhagen corner. Johansson shoves Morgan as the corner is swung in by Augustinsson. Free-kick.
3 min: There are two dangerous moments from both sides. Copenhagen create a bit of discomfort for Leicester with an attack down the right that results in Santander hooking a shot at the near post with his right foot from a tight angle that Schmeichel saves with his right shin. It’s a comfortable save mind. And then Olsen is forced to gallop out of his box and head clear with Vardy bearing down on him. Promising start this.
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1 min: Copenhagen, in white, get the match under way. They’re shooting from right to left on my telly. Leicester, in traditional blue, are heading the other way. Leicester win back possession early and knock the ball around a bit at the back before Huth is put under pressure and wallops clear. Vardy chases and gives his marker a shove but Copenhagen snuff out the danger.
The smoke drifting across the turf from the Danes’ flares has given this match a rather retro feel. Here we go …
Right, almost time for kick-off. The two teams emerge from the tunnel to a raucous reception. The Leicester fans are holding aloft a collection of shiny flags that spell out Leicester. Meanwhile, the Copenhagen fans have gone full pyro, lighting at least five or six flares and turning their corner of the King Power into what looks like a vision of hell.
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Meanwhile, here’s Ian Copestake: “I am literally almost In Brugge for their home game against Porto. Well, OK, I’m in Brussels because Eurostar trains have been cancelled and am watching them on the hotel TV rather than wondering how I get home.” Enjoy the cobbles Ian.
“Evening Gregg. Who says Leicester can’t win the Champions League? Not me, that’s for sure,” pipes up Simon McMahon. “If Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa can do it, why not Ranieri’s boys? It would almost make up for Dundee United being robbed of a place in the 1984 final in Rome. Almost.”
Ranieri has just been interviewed about why he rested players for tonight’s game. Here’s his answer: “I saved these players because I know how important it is tonight. We have our destiny in this competition in the next two matches against Copenhagen. It is very important to play cleverly tonight as they are very well organised.” He admits that he is aware the Champions League is affecting Leicester’s league form but he wants his players to get to the knockout stage and to keep having new experiences. Well, that’s refreshing isn’t it? I’m all for savouring the moment.
Hello again. I hope these two teams have enjoyed better preparation for this match than myself. Half an hour ago I was in the office. Then televisual issues meant I would have to head home to get eyes on this match. What an enjoyable cycle ride that wasn’t.
So Andy King gets the nod to partner Danny Drinkwater in midfield, while Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani return to make up a potent front four with Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton. There is no Kusk in the Copenhagen starting XI, which may be of some relief to Leicester’s back five, which has a reassuringly familiar look about it. Claudio Ranieri is taking nothing for granted though, even if he knows the Champions League knockout stages are not far away...
The teams
Leicester City
Schmeichel, Fuchs, Huth, Morgan, Simpson, Albrighton, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Slimani, Vardy
FC Copenhagen
Olsen, Augustinsson, Johansson, Kvist, Verbič, Delaney, Cornelius, Santander, Ankersen, Toutouh, Jørgensen.
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Preamble
Evening. The Premier League? Pah! Leicester City have been there and done that. Europe’s where it’s at for Claudio Ranieri and co now. Yes, the Champions League has offered Leicester some joy away from domestic troubles. They’ve thumped Brugge and battled to a 1-0 victory over stylish Porto. They’re top of Group G on maximum points. So they should be confident of another positive result tonight against Copenhagen then shouldn’t they? Not quite. The Danish champions have also thrashed Brugge, 4-0, as well as taking a point away from Porto, in Porto. They’re unbeaten all season. Their quality explains why Ranieri rested Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani for the 3-0 defeat by Chelsea. “In the Premier League we must be safe at the end of the year. The Champions League is now,” said Ranieri, explaining that decision. “At this moment, it’s a priority.”
So all of Leicester’s eggs have been placed in one big Champions League basket and tonight feels like an opportunity to justify that decision. It works in Leicester’s favour that they’re at home. Their newfound inability to defend set pieces appears to be an affliction that only troubles them on the road. They will need to be resilient against a forward line led by the hulking presence of 6ft 4in Andreas Cornelius. Cardiff fans may remember him. He cost them £8m in 2013. He barely played and returned to Copenhagen where he should have stayed given that his career has progressed very nicely since. They also have an all-action captain in Thomas Delaney, who scored a stupendous volley against Brugge and a potent trickster in Kasper Kusk, who Leicester will have to keep an eye on if he starts.
Much will be expected of Mahrez and Slimani as they return tonight. And will Jamie Vardy ram Alan Shearer’s criticisms down his throat with a first goal in Europe? Stay tuned to find out.
My prediction: Leicester 2-2 Copenhagen
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