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.
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Claudio Ranieri admits that he was “expecting a response” from Leicester City in their European tie against Club Brugge, but is unsure what to expect this weekend.
The Premier League champions might have gone behind inside three minutes at the Jan Breydelstadion, but instead Jose Izquierdo missed a glit-edged opportunity for Club Brugge and Marc Albrighton opened the scoring at the other end moments later.
‘We played well in Brugge in our first Champions League match.
“It’s a big test against everyone because with Rostov we are the only two teams never to play in the Champions League”.
“Maybe the music wake up him”.
“I said to the players when you hear the Champions League music it charges the battery and makes you fight”, he told BT Sport. “Maybe he’s exhausted of dilly-ding, dilly dong and the Champions League music woke him”.
“If he doesn’t score, I take the neck and I crush the neck”, he joked.
Ranieri admitted he wanted record signing Islam Slimani to take the spot-kick, after Jamie Vardy was fouled by Ludovic Butelle – but is pleased Mahrez is back on track.
“I wouldn’t say it’s more responsibility for me because he carries a lot of it himself”.
Yet the English champions insist their return to domestic action at home to Burnley is more important than their debut in the Champions League on Wednesday. He was a lucky man.
“The players are ready and they have recovered well”.
Burnley have won two of their four previous Premier League games against reigning champions, with both wins coming against Manchester sides; the first a 1-0 victory over United in August 2009 and the second a 1-0 win at home to City in March 2015. Burnley maybe think we can be exhausted in the last 15 minutes. After losing in the 1st round of Swansea 0: 1, and in the 3rd Chelsea 3: 0, took victory over Liverpool 2: 0 and played draw with Hull City 1: 1.
Aguero has now scored nine goals in five games this season after tapping in the opening goal in the ninth minute, converting a penalty in the 28th and completing his hat trick by rounding the goalkeeper in a one-on-one chance in the 77th.
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Leicester have had a hard start to the defense of their title, having won only once in four games.
