Foxes targeting Europe?

Leicester City maintained their 100 per cent Champions League record with a 1-0 win over Porto on the night that European football came to the King Power. Adam Bate was there to see it and explains why Europe could be where the magic happens for them in 2016/17…

Claudio Ranieri said afterwards that Leicester had been waiting 132 years for this moment. Judging by the noise that reverberated around the King Power Stadium ahead of kick-off, it was worth the wait for most of the 31,805 that packed themselves into the ground.

This was it. The sort of night that supporters had been daring to dream about even before they were contemplating last season’s extraordinary Premier League title win. Yes, before becoming the unlikeliest of table toppers it was the prospect of the top four that excited.

The reason? Moments just like this. A one-goal victory over Porto, a club that won this competition a dozen years ago, lifting the trophy just weeks after Leicester confirmed what would prove to be a decade-long absence from the Premier League. Well they’re back now.

Indeed, while Manchester City sometimes seem ambivalent about the Champions League’s charms, Leicester are embracing it. The players have spoken about the buzz when hearing the music and the fans seem to agree. Even the match-day programme ran to 100 pages.

In short, everyone’s up for it. “Our fans gave us a lot of energy,” said Ranieri afterwards. “It was fantastic. All the matches they push behind us.” And when Ranieri’s men are feeling motivated and at their best, they’re not a team that needs too much of a push to perform.

As ever with Leicester, it starts from the front where Jamie Vardy sets the tone, leading the line with gusto, harrying and chasing every ball. He now has a willing accomplice in Islam Slimani, the Algerian who netted the game’s only goal – a sixth against Porto in 2016 alone.

Both men were booked in the first half as Leicester refused to compromise their aggressive approach. They were adjudged to have committed 24 fouls – that’s more than any side has committed in a Premier League game in the past three seasons.

Porto didn’t particularly like it much either. Iker Casillas certainly didn’t take kindly to being propelled into his own net by Robert Huth. “It’s not easy to come to the Premier League champions,” said Porto coach …

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