The Algeria worldwide, who joined City on transfer deadline day in a deal that could eventually be worth £30million and made an impressive debut in the 3-0 win over Club Brugge on Wednesday, became an instant hit with the City fans, who sang his name throughout the second half in Belgium.
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Marc Albrighton also got a goal on a flawless night for the Premier League champions as they ran out 3-0 winners against a poor Club Brugge side.
Leicester winger Marc Albrighton admits his career turnaround is a dream after scoring the Foxes’ first historic Champions League goal.
“I said to the players when you hear the Champions League music”, he said, “it charges the battery and makes you fight”.
“It was an important win for us after the Liverpool defeat”.
“We have started well and give us confidence and now we have to stay calm and put our mind to the next match on Saturday”.
There will be tougher matches to come for Leicester – their next fixture is a home tie against Group G favourites Porto on 27 September – but the romp against Brugge will have given the Foxes the self-belief that they’re good enough for the Champions League.
He added: ” It was never easy, if they score at the beginning it changes the face of the match.
Ranieri revealed later that he had wanted Islam Slimani to take the spot-kick but Mahrez made a decision to shoulder the responsibility. “No fear, we just played our football and let that do the talking”, said England striker Vardy, a constant menace for the bewildered home back line.
If he had missed, Ranieri joked, “I take the neck and crush the neck!” Ranieri said. “He took the responsibility”.
“I can always look back and say I’ve done that and hopefully with a few more games left in the competition, I can chip in with a few more”.
Ranieri seemed to acknowledge Mahrez’s slightly underwhelming domestic form by saying: “Maybe the music woke him up! Maybe he is very exhausted of listening to dilly-ding, dilly-dong and prefers the Champions League music”. “He was a lucky man”.
Manager Michel Preud’homme said; “Football is simple, to win a game you have to score goals and not concede too much”.
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“We scored three goals but I don’t think it was a ideal performance. We have to perform better defensively and offensively if we want to win that kind of game”.
