Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich,
Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Leicester. As it stands, the
quarter-finalists of the Champions League, 2016-17.
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| Leicesters player celebrate in a bundle on the King Power turf after a memorable Champions League last-16 victory |
Drink
it in. Roll it around on your tongue. Laugh. Smile. Marvel at its sheer
audacity. But do not be amazed, or shocked. This Leicester team are
capable of quite incredible feats; when they want to be.
And
now they do. Previously, this season, it seemed they didn't
. Who knows
why? Yet here were a Leicester team back to their lunatic best, playing
for a new manager in a way they no longer did for the old one, and
taking their place among a European elite that would once have sneered
at their very presence.
And it was thoroughly, magnificently,
deserved. Leicester were the better team, and in the periods when they
were not, they had mighty men within to come to their rescue. Kasper
Schmeichel saved a late penalty that could have taken the match to extra
time, the back four defended with the bravery of last year.
It
was a throwback of a performance really — an echo of the team that made
a fan of every neutral until the narrative soured inexplicably in this
campaign. Yet we cannot dwell on that forever. It remains a miserable
denouement, but what's done is done. Here was 90 minutes that demanded
to be taken simply on merit. And what merit.
To
put this win into perspective, Sevilla have not lost a knockout tie in
Europe since August 25, 2011 — when they were eliminated from the Europa
League at the qualification stage by Hannover.
Since
then, they have won that competition on three occasions, and are
currently on course to qualify for the Champions League next year too,
by league position. Without being a fully paid-up member of the platinum
club, they are as close to European royalty as it gets. And Leicester
just blew them away.
They were
stronger, faster, more determined — and took their chances with a
confidence Sevilla did not possess in their home leg. Just at the moment
when Sevilla began to mount a sustained threat, after half-time,
Leicester scored their second.
Shinji Okazaki had a shot blocked, it
travelled out to Riyad Mahrez, who crossed urgently. Adil Rami
half-cleared, the ball fell to Marc Albrighton and he brought it under
control and capitalised on Sevilla's sluggishness to finish smartly past
goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
Sevilla fought
desperately to get back in the game but were sabotaged from within and
resisted without. Samir Nasri had already been booked when he clashed
with Jamie Vardy. The pair ducked their heads towards each other, Vardy
the better actor, as ever. Referee Daniele Orsato rightly showed a
yellow to each player, but it was enough to see the last of Nasri.
He
left reluctantly, making several attempts to return to Vardy and
arrange a rendezvous in the tunnel. Few would make him favourite in that
match, either.
Still, down to 10, Sevilla should have got
back in the game. Vitolo looked to already be falling when he tumbled
over Schmeichel on the run with 12 minutes remaining, but it convinced
Orsato. He pointed to the spot and up stepped Steven Nzonzi —
inexplicably the Sevilla penalty- taker despite having so much talent on
tap.
His effort was poor, though, low
to the right, but it needed Schmeichel to read his mind and keep his
nerve. That he did, and justice was done, to the delight of a crowd
whose faith in this group is restored.
Craig
Shakespeare is now only the second English manager to lead an English
club to the Champions League last eight. Harry Redknapp spent the best
part of three seasons doing it at Tottenham; Shakespeare has required
three matches.
It must seem a bitter
irony for Claudio Ranieri — whose dilly-ding, dilly-dong catchphrase
still echoes around the ground, and will, long after he has gone — but
Shakespeare is extracting a new level of performance from these players.
It may only be the level attained last season, but it was not here
before. Sevilla must have felt they were facing a different team from
three weeks ago.
From Shakespeare's perspective the opening
45 minutes was as close to perfect as it could have been. Not only did
the players execute his game plan perfectly but Sevilla seemed shocked
by Leicester's levels of energy.
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| The Leicester striker reacts to a missed chance by punching himself in the face; his performance was only missing a goal |
Asked
for a quick word by a journalist after a match, the former Manchester
United captain Martin Buchan famously replied: 'Velocity.' And that is
the word that sums up Leicester at their best, Sevilla struggling with
the sheer speed at which Leicester came at them — a wonderful throwback
to the shock of last season.
Vardy
caught full backs in possession, the midfield snapped into tackles,
Christian Fuchs darted in front of forwards to shepherd the ball to
safety. Sevilla had seemingly forgotten the first rule of playing
Leicester: do everything you would usually, just twice as fast. They had
a good chance after three minutes and were then on the back foot.
Had that opportunity gone in, it could
have been a very different game and a very different atmosphere. Wissam
Ben Yedder, Sevilla's top scorer, played in Nasri, who eluded Wes Morgan
beautifully, before Schmeichel emerged to smother his shot.
Leicester
did not forge many clear chances, either, but they offered a genuine
threat, played with verve — and scored the all-important first goal
after 27 minutes. It came after Vicente Iborra had crudely and
unnecessarily up-ended Vardy, having successfully turned him away from
goal.
Mahrez whipped in the free-kick, a
crowd of players missed it, and Morgan bundled it over the line at the
far post, as much by luck as judgment. Full credit to Mahrez, though,
for the type of delivery that all defenders, even good ones, hate.
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| Nasri was already on a yellow card when he reacted to a push from Vardy by butting his head towards the Leicester man |
Before the match, Leicester's fans had
unveiled a giant banner showing Shakespeare in control of a growling
Rottweiler, straining at the leash. 'Let slip the dogs of war' read the
message beneath — Julius Caesar, Act 3 Scene 1. The goal had more to do
with the line that precedes it. 'Cry 'Havoc!',' says Mark Antony. And
Mahrez did, with that free-kick.
Sevilla
were rattled, no doubt of that. Nasri was booked for a hack at the legs
of Wilfred Ndidi, while coach Jorge Sampaoli made two changes at
half-time, appearing as agitated as Shakespeare was calm. After 52
minutes, Sergio Escudero hit the bar with a shot from 25 yards; after 54
minutes Leicester went two ahead.
'Champions
of England, we know what we are,' sang the fans. And in Europe, at
least, that is true. Leicester have more than lived up to their lofty
status. This season, at home and abroad, they are exactly where they
deserve to be.
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