The Premier League heavyweights clinched a narrow win to edge out PSV in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.
Leicester City defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday. The Dutch side were not able to use their home advantage while Leicester took another step toward winning their first-ever European trophy.
An unexpected hero!
The two sides came into the game on the back of their goalless draw in the first leg. Similar to that game, both teams tried their best to avoid conceding the opening goal.
Following a dominant start to the game, PSV managed to break the deadlock in the 27th minute. Eran Zahavi scored for the Eredivisie side as Leicester struggled to find their feet throughout the first period.
The Foxes looked much improved as soon as the second half started. They controlled the possession while creating goalscoring opportunities down both flanks.
PSV defended well for most of the second period, but James Maddison finally found the equalizer for the guests in the 77th minute.
A brilliant cutback from Ayoze Perez found Maddison, who powered the ball home with a precise first-time shot. Leicester increased the pressure on PSV’s backline, who seemed overwhelmed by their opponents’ swift transitional play.
Another beautiful piece of buildup play completed Leicester’s comeback when Patson Daka received Ademola Lookman’s pass inside the box.
The Zambian star unleashed a powerful shot, which found Ricardo Pereira in the perfect spot after being half-saved by PSV’s keeper. The right-back scored his second goal of the season from close range as soon as he received the ball in front of the open net.
The hosts pushed hard to get back into the game after Leicester’s second goal. However, the Foxes managed to keep their defensive integrity until the final whistle.
What’s next for Leicester City and PSV?
Leicester will face the winner of Roma’s clash against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals. Before that, the Foxes must return to the Premier League to meet Newcastle in their last game.
Check out our exclusive betting tip on Newcastle vs Leicester here!
On the other hand, PSV will face their arch-rivals, Ajax, in the KNVB Cup final on Sunday. They will then return to Eredivisie to face Cambuur in their next league game.
Player Ratings
PSV: Mvogo (7); M. Junior (6), Teze (6), Ramalho (7), Max (5); Sangare (6), Gotze (7), Gutierrez (7); Gakpo (7), Zahavi (7), Veerman (6).
Bench: Oppegard (5), Doan (6), Bruma (-).
Leicester City: Schmeichel (7); Ricardo (8), Evans (6), Fofana (7), Castagne (6); Tielemans (5), Dewsbury-Hall (6), Maddison (8); Albrighton (6), Barnes (6); Iheanacho (7).
Bench: Daka (6), Perez (6), Lookman (7).
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