The round of 16 matches from the Champions League continues today as reigning Premier League champions Leicester City travel to Spain for their first-leg encounter against a new look Sevilla team at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjua.
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While Claudio Ranieri team has been in horrible form in the Premier League as they sit in 17th position, just one point clear of the relegation zone, their form in the Champions League has actually been really good. They had Club Brugge, FC Porto and Kobenhavn in their Champions' League group and they topped it, losing just one match in the process.
Another plus point for Leicester City leading up to their crucial match against Sevilla is that their goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has not yet conceded a goal in the Champions League and he knows his side faces a completely different challenge when they face off against Sevilla, but he will be highly motivated to keep that run going.
Leicester City has no major injuries or suspensions ahead of this match, as the only player who will be out is Leonardo Ulloa, and while Islam Slimani was a doubt for this match, he has travelled with the squad despite a muscle strain.
Claudio Ranieri knows that his side is the underdog in this match and knows the threat that Sevilla possess, but he insists that this match could be a turning point for them. He said that his team needs a match of this magnitude and are ready to fight.
"Now we have to fight every match. I need soldiers. I need gladiators. The Premier League is a priority when there is a match in the Premier League. Now, there is a match in the Champions League. The priority is always the next match. This match could be the turning point. It could be everything."
"If we win, something could change. We need one match like this. We know in our mind we are the underdog. If you see in the last 10 years what Sevilla achieved, it's amazing. They are used to staying at the top. They have good players but we are ready to fight and ready to play our football."
Sevilla on the other hand have improved leaps and bounds under their new manager Jorge Sampaoli and have emerged as shock title contenders in the La Liga and given their current form they could pip Barcelona to a second place finish come the end of the season.
Sevilla finished second in their group that consisted of Juventus, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb and are clear favourites to progress to the next round of the competition. Jorge Sampaoli will have to make a few changes to his side as center-back Nicolas Pareja is a doubt for this match and Michael Krohn-Dehli and Benoit Tremoulinas are confirmed to miss this match.
Sevilla coach said in his interview that while Leicester City's achievement last year was an incredible feat, they need to live in the present and not the past. He also said that once Jamie Vardy finds his goal scoring touch again, the Foxes will once again be a threat.
He said while their form in the Premier League has been bad, their form in the Champions League was brilliant and they could still be a threat to them over the two legs.
"Today we are not talking about the team that won the league so brilliantly, we're talking about one that is not doing well and is fighting relegation. You have to talk about the present. Goal scorers live for the moment and Vardy was fundamental last year. When he rediscovers his goal scoring touch Leicester will be a dangerous team again."
"I think Leicester are not having a good time in the league, they have a lot of doubts when last year they had so much belief. They were brilliant in the league last year and have been great in the Champions League, they qualified very quickly, so in a two-legged tie it still poses a lot of risks for us."
Where to watch
The Champions League match between Sevilla and Leicester City is set to start at 7:45pm GMT (1:15am IST, 2:45pm EST)
TV and Live Streaming information
India: TV: Ten 1 HD, Ten 2. Live Streaming: Ten Sports Live
UK: TV: BT Sport 2. Live Streaming: Watch BT Sport.
USA: TV: Fox Sports 1. Live Streaming: Fox Soccer 2 Go
Spain: TV: beIN Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Africa: TV: SuperSport 5. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live
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