Leicester City, the team that got promoted to the Premier League in the 2013-14 season now join the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus in the quarter finals of the Champions League. It was the two leader figures in the club Wes Morgan with the goal and Kasper Schmeichel with his brilliant saves including that of a penalty. It turned out to be a routine win in the end for Juventus though after Porto went down to 10 men. But it is anything but a routine night for Craig Shakespeare’s side as they once again look like the team that stunned the Premier League giants to lift the title last season, save for a lack lustre Jamie Vardy.
Live aggregate score updates, Leicester City 3-2 Sevilla, Juventus 3-0 Porto
0304 hrs IST: LEICESTER CITY ARE THROUGH TO THE QUARTER FINALS OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. A deserved victory for the Foxes, they were on top of Sevilla right from the word go. Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty in both legs of the quarter finals and he is the man that the Leicester players are going and hugging. They then go to that part of the stands where N’Golo Kante is smiling as wide as he possibly can.
0300 hrs IST: Four minutes of added time, do or die for Sevilla as they face yet another Round of 16 exit from the Champions League.
0258 hrs IST: Vardy yet again with a golden opportunity and misses it. Riyadh Mahrez just stroll into the Sevilla penalty area. Rami closes him down so he finds Vardy who had lots of space and time but he hits it wide off target. Mahrez is taken off for Musa soon after.
0255 hrs IST: Jamie Vardy yet again with another chance. Leicester caught Sevilla napping when Fuchs sent in a deflected cross into the middle fo the box. Vardy gets a free header but it is too close to Rico.
0248 hrs IST: That’s penalty for Sevilla, its all happening! Schmeichel yellow carded. And it is SAVED by Kasper Schmeichel. Sevilla had a lifeline and they blew it. Nzonzi was the man who took it. It was low devoid of direction and wasn’t too powerful a shot and not enough to beat a keeper of Schmeichel’s stature. Schmeichel Sr. punches the air in the stands.
0243 hrs IST: Samir Nasri sent off and Sevilla are down to 10 men! Only Nasri can be blamed for this one. Being the man with more experience in Europe, he should have kept his calm but didn’t as Jamie Vardy got under his skin. Nasri makes contact with his head on Vardy and that is the end of the game for the Frenchman. It took some effort to pull him off the field.
0239 hrs IST: Riyadh Mahrez leads the Leicester counter after a free kick for Sevilla. Mahrez passes it to Slimani at the edge of the box who puts it back in his path and he tries to find Vardy but it is intercepted by Sevilla.
0237 hrs IST: Leicester almost put it out of Sevilla’s reach there. Riyadh Mahrez sent in a low cross from the right and that was dealt with by Rico. It fell to Vardy whose shot goes wide.
0232 hrs IST: Islam Slimani comes on for Leicester City to replace Shinji Okazaki. Slimani has played in the Champions League before with Sporting Lisbon.
0230 hrs IST: It’s still close though, if Sevilla manage to score, the game will go into extra time. Leicester are not looking like a team that are planning to defend for the rest of the match. And that scoreline is one for all those who thought that Sevilla would smash Leicester before the first leg.
0228 hrs IST: A minute earlier Sevilla had hit the bar with Escudero who then tried to hit on the rebound and the shot goes well wide. Leicester got back the possession and look at what they have gone and done.
0223 hrs IST: GOAL!! Marc Albrighton 54′ and that might just be the one that Leicester were looking for. They kept passing the ball in front of the Sevilla defence. Okazaki tries a shot from the edge of the area that is blocked and goes to Mahrez on the right. His cross is headed away by Adil Rami. and it falls to Albroighton takes the first touch to control it and the second to whip into goal.
0221 hrs IST: It’s a silent start to second half at the King Power but Fransisco Soares almost gave Porto a goal when he broke away from the Juventus full back, he takes the shot and its saved by Iker Casillas
0215 hrs IST: Leicester City kick off the second half at King Power stadium.
0202 hrs IST: HALF TIME at Turin too and Juventus are leading 3-0 on aggregate with two of them being away goals. Add to that the red card that Porto sustained and it seems the match has been decided already.
0200 hrs IST: It’s HALF TIME at King Power stadium and Leicester City lead thanks to a goal from their skipper. Sevilla have looked a bit shaken since then and Leicester have not given them a minute’s rest since taking the lead.
0157 hrs IST: GOAL!! Paulo Dybala scores for Juventus from the spot and Juventus lead 3-0 on aggregate. They also have the extra man on the pitch and so, it certainly looks like game over and we are only coming to the end of the first half.
0154 hrs IST: It’s still all square between Porto and Juventus with the latter leading on aggregate but a corner from Dani Alves leads a to a penalty and a red card for Maxi Perrera for a hand ball in the box. Porto down to 10 men.
0150 hrs IST: Leicester are looking dangerous whenever they counter. Umdidi led the charge this time with help from Mahrez and loses the ball when he runs into too many Sevilla players at the edge of the box.
0145 hrs IST: Sevilla have been sparked into life after that. Ben Yedder sends in a shot from an outrageous angle and it is palmed over goal by Schmeichel.
0140 hrs IST: GOAL!! West Morgan 26′, Leicester City 1-0 Sevilla, 2-2 on aggregate. Riyadh Mahrez sends in an inch perfect ball through a free kick and Wes Morgan makes no mistake to score his third, and probably the most important, goal of the season. As it stands, Leciester are through to the Champions League quarter final.
0137 hrs IST: Juventus had a chance to score and take the lead when Mario Mandzukic managed to get his head to a cross. It was saved bu the Porto goalkeeper.
0132 hrs IST: Leicester stepping on the gas now. Simpson put in a dangerous looking cross that Sevilla keeper Rico tried to reach but missed it. Fuchs kept it in play on the other side and got it to Albrighton whose cross had too much in it for Okazaki to reach.
0128 hrs IST: Nothing much to report from both matches. 10 minutes have gone and Sevilla are the side piling the pressure at King Power stadium. Porto are showing that they are very much up for the challenge against Juventus.
0118 hrs IST: Samir Nasri with the first chance of the night for Sevilla. The Frenchman got away from Wes Morgan with a wonderful first touch but his shot was saved by Kasper Schmeichel.
