Slimani the man for Foxes

“Slimani good to play tomorrow”, said the Italian.

Set to be awaiting Porto is Islam Slimani, the striker who moved to Leicester from Sporting CP in August.

Porto’s failure to defeat Copenhagen in Estadio do Dragao had raised the stakes ahead of this fixture, with further dropped points increasing the club’s prospects of missing out on a top two finish. We have a lot of respect for Porto, they are a more experienced team in Europe than us.

“Slimani scores so many times against Porto I am thinking if he’s going to play or not”.

“Of course Slimani has scored so many times against Porto“.

Away Porto can win two games in a row, losing to Sporting 1: 2 and dividing points with Tondela 0: 0 Championships in Portugal.

Nevertheless, Slimani’s willingness to get his hands dirty appealed to Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, whose team’s 5,000-1 title win was built on hard graft and defensive rigorousness.

Porto were dazed by the frenetic pace of Ranieri’s team, but they went close to equalising on 35 minutes when Migue Layun flashed a free-kick wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s right-hand post.

And, they followed it up with the notable scalp of Porto at the King Power Stadium given that the Portuguese outfit were expected to be their main challengers for a place in the last-16 of the tournament.

Given Brugge and Copenhagen still have to come the King Power, a confidence-boosting victory over a former Champions League victor will give Leicester one foot in the business end of the tournament and a chance to meet the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

“I spoke with Riyad (Mahrez) and Islam and said, ‘Come on guys, make something good tonight.’ And they made a pass, assist, goal“.

“Last season, we were one of the best in the league and conceded very few goals from the set-pieces, and now we leave four metres. We have to go back to our strength”.

“The rule is the same, but now they are scared about it and I don’t know why. I don’t know why”.

Jamie Vardy ended the last season with 24 goals in 36 appearances while Riyad Mahrez, who scored 17 goals himself, won the prestigious PFA Player of the Year Award.

Summer signing Granit Xhaka is another Basel alumnus among Arsene Wenger’s ranks and the Swiss midfielder should get his first Champions League start for Arsenal against his countrymen after Francis Coquelin sustained a knee injury in the win over Chelsea.

“You don’t play an easy game in this competition”.

“It will be a fantastic occasion”. The sequence includes a goal against Porto earlier this season and it was no surprise that the man who arrived on transfer deadline day in a £29m deal left to a standing ovation when he was withdrawn eight minutes from time.

“Porto will be as tough”.