LEICESTER CITY
Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as Leicester City enjoyed a
dream debut in the Champions League on Wednesday, cruising to a 3-0 win over
Club Brugge in Belgium.
Voted England's player of the year for his role in
Leicester's remarkable Premier League title triumph last season, it was
appropriate that the Algerian winger should be so central to their victory in
this Group G clash.
However, it was Marc Albrighton who opened the scoring inside
five minutes at the Jan Breydelstadion before Mahrez whipped in a wonderful
free-kick just before the half-hour.
He then converted a 61st-minute penalty to seal a perfect
night for Claudio Ranieri's side, who are already top of the section after
Porto and FC Copenhagen drew 1-1 in the other game.
Much tougher tests surely await for the Foxes, but this was
an accomplished, clinical performance in their first European outing since
losing to Red Star Belgrade in the Uefa Cup first round in 2000.
Ranieri handed a debut to Algerian club record signing Islam
Slimani and also brought in another summer recruit, Luis Hernandez starting at
right-back with Danny Simpson declared unfit.
This, though, was largely the Leicester team that won the
Premier League against all the odds.
Their new status manifestly failed to impress the locals,
with empty seats dotted all around the Jan Breydelstadion, but the Foxes will
not care about being considered unfashionable in Belgium.
They may have had a poor start to their domestic title
defence but Club Brugge have also been struggling for form and there was a
yawning gulf in class between the sides.
The hosts should have been in front inside three minutes, but
rapid Colombian winger Jose Izquierdo dragged his shot wide after a Hans
Vanaken pass sent him clean through on goal, and Leicester made them pay by
seizing the lead just two minutes later.
A Hernandez long throw from the right caused chaos in the
penalty box, with Club Brugge goalkeeper Ludovic Butelle racing out only to
miscue his punch, and the ball was flicked on by Hans Vanaken for Albrighton to
convert into the empty net.
DELIRIOUS
With their team in front so soon into their first ever
Champions League game, it was little wonder the Leicester fans in two corners
of the stadium were delirious.
Now Ranieri's side were able to play to their strengths on
the counter-attack, and the Club Brugge defence could not cope with the searing
pace of Jamie Vardy.
The England striker provoked a free-kick on the edge of the
penalty box when he was chopped down by the hosts' 39-year-old captain Timmy
Simons, who was booked.
Mahrez stepped up to curl a tremendous left-foot strike into
the top-left corner of the net with Butelle helpless.
The quarter of an hour between that stunning strike and the
halftime whistle could have brought more goals for the English side, but Mahrez
curled another effort just wide after a one-two with Slimani just outside the
box.
Danny Drinkwater then forced Butelle to tip over from a
35-yard left-foot volley and Vardy ran through to test the French goalkeeper
with the interval approaching.
Goal No 3 duly arrived just after the hour mark, Mahrez
making no mistake from 12 yards after Vardy had once again burst into the box
only to be brought down by the outrushing, hapless Butelle.
"We're just too good for you", was the chant from
the away supporters, before Izquierdo struck the post as the Belgian champions
pushed for a consolation goal.
Leicester could have won by more, though, Robert Huth heading
just wide from an Albrighton corner late on.
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