Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi netted Leicesters’ first goal, as the Premier League team trashed their Danish opponent
By Kehinde Okeowo
Leicester City beat Danish club Randers FC 4-1 in their Europa Conference League play-off first leg at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi finished off an assist from his compatriot Ademola Lookman.
But the home side were pegged back in the last minute of the first half when Vito Hammershoej-Mistrati scored after receiving a pass from another Nigerian, Tosin Kehinde.
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Harvey Barnes restored the lead in the 49th minute, after which Patson Daka added a third in the 55th minute, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall slotted the fourth and final goal home in the 74th minute.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers claimed he did not know what this competition was or that his side were in it after finishing third in their Europa League group.
But he named a strong team nonetheless and the second leg in Denmark next week now seems like a formality.
The winners of this tie face one of the Europa Conference League group winners in the last 16.
Winning the competition now looks like Leicesters’ best route to next year’s Europa League, given their current position in the Premier League table.
OTHER EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE RESULTS
FC Midtjylland 1 vs PAOK Salonika 0
Fenerbahçe 2 vs Slavia Prague 3
PSV Eindhoven 1 vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0
Rapid Vienna 2 vs Vitesse 1
Celtic 1 vs Bodø/Glimt 3
Marseille 3 vs FK Qarabag 1
Sparta Prague 0 vs Partizan Belgrade 1