Leicester City vs Sevilla - Craig Shakespeare eyeing Champions League glory with Leicester - 7M sport

Leicester City vs Sevilla - Craig Shakespeare eyeing Champions League glory with Leicester



Posted Tuesday, March 14, 2017 by PA

Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare insists the Foxes can win the Champions League.

They host Sevilla in the last 16 on Tuesday, trailing 2-1 from last month's first leg, in Shakespeare's first game as full-time manager.

Shakespeare won his first two matches in charge - before Sunday's confirmation he would be boss until the end of the season - following Claudio Ranieri's February sacking.

A 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium would send the Foxes into the last eight on away goals and, after last season's shock 5,000-1 Premier League triumph, Shakespeare said Leicester must believe they can win the competition.

"Why not? We are in it, we have to try to be competitive in every game," said the 53-year-old, who was Ranieri's assistant. "For me there is no free game in football, you have to try to win every game you go in to and show that determination and competitiveness and we need to show that in abundance tomorrow night.

"We know the importance of getting that goal. It is going to be a huge task but hopefully with the crowd - and we make a good atmosphere here - we can go through."

Jamie Vardy's away goal at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium gave the Foxes hope after Kasper Schmeichel made a number of saves, including from Joaquin Correa's first-half penalty, to keep them in the tie.

Ranieri was dismissed just 24 hours after the defeat in Spain but Shakespeare believes Vardy's strike gives the tie a different complexion.

He said: "Evan after the first game we knew by getting the away goal we had given ourselves a great opportunity.

"The atmosphere will be electric and I'm expecting the team to take momentum from the two results (wins over Liverpool and Hull) and the confidence gained from that and really play on the front foot.

"That is not to say we will be open as we know Sevilla have world-class players but it makes for an interesting game because of their away goal.

"I'm quite calm and collected. Hopefully I'll stay calm so the players aren't over-emotional. Of course I'll be excited. We have to compete for the 90 minutes or extra-time. I understand the massive challenges ahead, no more so than tomorrow."

Nampalys Mendy is out with a knee injury, although Shakespeare is hopeful he will be fit for Saturday's Premier League trip to West Ham, while Robert Huth and Islam Slimani are a booking away from a ban.

Sevilla boss Sampaoli believes Shakespeare has Leicester playing like champions again.

He said: "It looks like the same set-up as when they won the league. The change is in terms of their emotion and morale - they seem a lot more decisive now, they are going for it again.

"With the side that came to Sevilla there was a bit more confusion but now they are back to the team that won the league. They will try to harness the passion to create a great atmosphere."

Sampaoli, who turned 57 on Monday, is expected to recall Manchester City loanee Samir Nasri and Vitolo after resting them recently and wants to see an improved performance after two straight draws in LaLiga knocked their title hopes.

"I think all teams go through bad patches, it happens to all teams. Sunday's game wasn't our best this season but in Vitoria (against Alaves) we were good in patches," he added, with Sevilla third and five points behind leaders Real Madrid.

"The performances haven't been as consistent but we need to make sure the real Sevilla turn up and we show our best game."



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