Leicester City were held to a 1-1 draw by AS Roma in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final tie on Thursday.
Leicester City have a Gianluca Mancini own goal to thank as they managed a 1-1 draw against AS Roma at the King Power Stadium. With the first leg of the two sides’ UEFA Europa Conference League finishing 1-1, it sets things up perfectly for the second leg which will be played in Rome on Thursday, May 5.
Leicester were the better side for the majority of the game but suffered an early setback when Lorenzo Pellegrini gave Jose Mourinho’s side the lead in the 15th minute. The Foxes were left to chase the tie and took as many as 13 shots in the match.
However, they had to do with a 1-1 draw, with Mancini’s own goal in the 67th minute giving them some breathing space going into the second leg. Brendan Rodgers will want his side to produce a similar level of performance when the two sides meet again in a week, but he will want his strikers to be accurate. Here’s how each Leicester player fared in the encounter:
Kasper Schmeichel: 6/10
Thank you for your support tonight Blue Army ?
It's all to play for in the second leg ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/pJ6xyF94nF
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 28, 2022
Schmeichel could have done better to prevent Pellegrini from scoring as the ball went through his legs and into the goal. He made one other save in the encounter, and his distribution was decent too as he completed 10 of the 12 long balls he attempted.
Ricardo Pereira: 6/10
The Leicester right-back could not influence much going forward with all three of his crosses failing to find a teammate. Pereira’s long-ball accuracy was quite good, as he completed three out of four attempts. Defensively, he made four tackles and an interception and was impressive in one-on-one situations.
Wesley Fofana: 8/10
Fofana did brilliantly to keep Conference League top-scorer and former Chelsea star Tammy Abraham quiet throughout the night. He made four interceptions and two tackles while winning four ground duels and three aerial duels. He did not shy away from carrying the ball forward either.
?? Wesley Fofana against Roma:
? 67 Touches
? 46 Passes
? 87% Pass Accuracy
? 1 Chance Created
? 3/4 Long Balls
? 1/2 Dribbles
? 3/5 Aerial Duels
? 4/6 Ground Duels
? 4 Interceptions
? 3 Clearances
? 2 TacklesBaller. #UECL #LeicesterRoma #LCFC pic.twitter.com/mSWtGUD6Qu
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) April 28, 2022
Jonny Evans: 7/10
As Fofana was enterprising with his defending, getting forward to nip Roma attacks in the bud, Jonny Evans held his own, maintained his position and read the game brilliantly. He made two clearances, blocked a shot, and made two interceptions and a tackle. He also completed 92% of his passes and all 19 of his long balls found a teammate.
Timothy Castagne: 5/10
Castagne had to be forced off in the 21st minute of the game. He missed a chance to score for Leicester in his short stay on the pitch, but he missed the header. James Justin took his spot in the XI.
James Maddison: 7/10
Maddison was quite enterprising with his dribbling and found himself in good areas quite often. But his shots were not as accurate as he would have liked. He created a big chance and also won all five ground duels he participated in.
Youri Tielemans: 7/10
Tielemans could not affect the game as much as he would have liked but still looked assured with his long passing. He was quick to cover for any lapse of concentration from his teammates. He could have been more solid in certain situations but overall, it was a good outing for the Belgium international.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: 6/10
Dewsbury-Hall never stopped running, popping up all over the pitch, but he lost the ball cheaply at times. He played three key passes in the match while also sending in three crosses. He combined well with Ademola Lookman on the left flank.
Marc Albrighton: 6/10
Albrighton played a typical right-winger role, hugging the touchline to allow Maddison to get into central areas and have shots at goal. He created one big chance and sent in as many as 11 crosses into the box, five of which found a teammate. He lost the ball a lot though, 18 to be precise, in his 62-minute stay on the pitch.
Jamie Vardy: 5/10
Vardy’s return to the Leicester starting XI was not as impactful as the Foxes would have liked. The English international had just 21 touches of the ball and completed only 50% of his passes. He did play three key passes though and won two ground and two aerial duels. He was rightly taken off in the 62nd minute as Leicester searched for a goal.
Ademola Lookman: 7/10
Lookman combined quite well with Dewsbury-Hall on the left flank, as most of Leicester’s attack came from his wing. He was not shy of taking on the Roma defenders, completing three of his five dribble attempts. Though he missed a big chance, he played a big role in Leicester’s equaliser.
Our first European semi-final goal – and the place is rocking on Filbert Way! ?#LeiRma #UECL pic.twitter.com/jhy9oJTRH9
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 28, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
James Justin: 6/10
James Justin came on for the injured Castagne and focussed more on defence as Leicester were already a goal down when he came on.
Harvey Barnes: 5/10
Barnes came on for Albrighton in the 62nd minute and injected some energy into Leicester’s attacks. His only dribble attempt was successful.
Kelechi Iheanacho: 5/10
Iheanacho came on for the returning Vardy in the 62nd minute. He too played an important role in the equaliser but was guilty of missing a couple of chances later.
Ayoze Perez: N/A
Perez came on in the 84th minute and did not do enough to warrant a rating.
