Leicester City 2-2 Napoli: Group favourites level after exciting encounter

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Victor Osimhen scoresVictor Osimhen had missed several chances in the first half before scoring two goals after the break

Leicester were denied victory in their Europa League opener at King Power Stadium after Napoli's Victor Osimhen scored twice in the second half.

Osimhen reduced Leicester's 2-0 lead after 69 minutes with an exquisite touch past Kasper Schmeichel, before his header made it 2-2 late on.

Ayoze Perez had scored a first-half volley and Harvey Barnes doubled Leicester's lead after the break.

Leicester summer signing Patson Daka also had a goal ruled out for offside.

The two sides, widely tipped as being among the favourites to win the competition, delivered an entertaining encounter in front of a vocal crowd at the King Power.

Leicester goalkeeper Schmeichel was called into action on several occasions, while Barnes proved a constant threat at the other end.

The hosts looked set to take pole position in Group C too, but Osimhen dealt a late blow before Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi was sent off for a second booking.

It leaves the group wide open with Leicester still to travel to Italy, as well as facing Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw.

Leicester clawed back in enthralling battle

Ayoze Perez scores for Leicester CityAyoze Perez was one of five changes to the starting line-up made by Brendan Rodgers for Leicester

There was a carnival atmosphere at the King Power to welcome European football back to Leicester and the match did not disappoint.

Napoli set the tone with their first shot on target after only three minutes and Leicester responded when Barnes was denied from close range, before setting up Perez's volley with a perfectly-weighted cross.

Timothy Castagne, along with the help of Schmeichel, somehow kept out Napoli's Piotr Zielinski, while Lorenzo Insigne and Hirving Lozano came close.

The Italians had been wasteful and when Barnes coolly thumped in Leicester's second, they looked set to come out on top.

But a sublime one-touch passing move saw Osimhen dance into the box before he flicked the ball past Jannik Vestergaard and over Schmeichel.

And the Napoli forward then hung well in the air to nod in a second and complete the comeback.

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Leicester City

  1. Squad number1Player nameSchmeichel

  2. Squad number27Player nameCastagne

  3. Squad number6Player nameEvans

  4. Squad number23Player nameVestergaard

  5. Squad number5Player nameBertrand

  6. Squad number17Player nameAyoze Pérez

  7. Squad number25Player nameNdidi

  8. Squad number42Player nameSoumaré

  9. Squad number29Player nameDaka

  10. Squad number14Player nameIheanacho

  11. Squad number7Player nameBarnes

  1. Squad number4Player nameSöyüncü

  2. Squad number8Player nameTielemans

  3. Squad number9Player nameVardy

  4. Squad number10Player nameMaddison

  5. Squad number37Player nameLookman

Napoli

  1. Squad number25Player nameOspina

  2. Squad number2Player nameMalcuit

  3. Squad number13Player nameRrahmani

  4. Squad number26Player nameKoulibaly

  5. Squad number22Player nameDi Lorenzo

  6. Squad number99Player nameZambo Anguissa

  7. Squad number8Player nameRuiz

  8. Squad number20Player nameZielinski

  9. Squad number11Player nameLozano

  10. Squad number9Player nameOsimhen

  11. Squad number24Player nameInsigne

  1. Squad number5Player nameJuan Jesus

  2. Squad number7Player nameElmas

  3. Squad number21Player namePolitano

  4. Squad number33Player nameOunas

  5. Squad number37Player namePetagna

Line-ups

Leicester

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Schmeichel
  • 27Castagne
  • 6EvansSubstituted forSöyüncüat 45'minutesBooked at 76mins
  • 23VestergaardBooked at 53mins
  • 5Bertrand
  • 17PérezSubstituted forTielemansat 45'minutes
  • 25NdidiBooked at 90mins
  • 42SoumaréBooked at 32minsSubstituted forMaddisonat 78'minutes
  • 29DakaSubstituted forLookmanat 71'minutes
  • 14IheanachoSubstituted forVardyat 87'minutes
  • 7Barnes

Substitutes

  • 4Söyüncü
  • 8Tielemans
  • 9Vardy
  • 10Maddison
  • 11Albrighton
  • 12Ward
  • 18Amartey
  • 20Choudhury
  • 21Ricardo Pereira
  • 22Dewsbury-Hall
  • 33Thomas
  • 37Lookman

Napoli

Formation 4-3-3

  • 25Ospina
  • 2MalcuitSubstituted forNunes Jesusat 84'minutes
  • 13RrahmaniBooked at 90mins
  • 26Koulibaly
  • 22Di LorenzoBooked at 33mins
  • 99Zambo AnguissaSubstituted forPetagnaat 84'minutes
  • 8Ruiz
  • 20ZielinskiSubstituted forElmasat 64'minutes
  • 11LozanoSubstituted forPolitanoat 64'minutes
  • 9Osimhen
  • 24InsigneSubstituted forOunasat 74'minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Nunes Jesus
  • 7Elmas
  • 16Idasiak
  • 21Politano
  • 33Ounas
  • 37Petagna
  • 44Manolas
  • 59Zanoli
  • 72Boffelli

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Leicester City 2, Napoli 2.

  2. Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, Napoli 2.

  3. Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Foul by Amir Rrahmani (Napoli).

  5. James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  6. Foul by Juan Jesus (Napoli).

  7. Ademola Lookman (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Second yellow card to Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) for a bad foul.

  9. Adam Ounas (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Foul by Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City).

  11. Attempt missed. Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Matteo Politano with a cross following a set piece situation.

  12. Adam Ounas (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  13. Foul by Youri Tielemans (Leicester City).

  14. Substitution, Leicester City. Jamie Vardy replaces Kelechi Iheanacho.

  15. Goal! Leicester City 2, Napoli 2. Victor Osimhen (Napoli) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Matteo Politano with a cross.

  16. David Ospina (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Foul by Ademola Lookman (Leicester City).

  18. Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Amir Rrahmani.

  19. Substitution, Napoli. Juan Jesus replaces Kevin Malcuit.

  20. Substitution, Napoli. Andrea Petagna replaces André-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

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