Premier League champions end fairy tale

A 1-1 home result in the second leg this morning meant the Premier League champions had to end their fairytale run in European competition this season, following a 0-1 defeat in the first leg.

Leicester must score three goals to progress after conceding. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Vardy 61' - Saul 26'

Playing at home, Leicester dominated most of the game, creating plenty of scoring chances, but Saul Niguez's opener for Atletico Madrid left them needing three goals to progress. That proved too much for Leicester, who only managed one goal for the rest of the game from Jamie Vardy.

The only remaining Premier League side entered the game with a disadvantage from the first leg, thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s controversial penalty. However, Craig Shakespeare’s men entered the game with a high spirit, overwhelming the team that had reached the final twice in recent years.

In fact, Saul Niguez’s opener came in Atletico’s first attack. It was a simple counter-attack: Filipe Luis crossed for his team-mate to head past Kasper Schmeichel. The mistake was made by Marc Albrighton and Christian Fuchs, who left Saul unguarded. Leicester had eight men defending the ball but allowed the opposition to finish.

Many Leicester players were in the penalty area but no one marked Saul when he shot. Photo: Reuters.

The goal left Leicester's chances of progressing in doubt. However, Riyad Mahrez almost equalised for the home side with a volley that went straight at Jan Oblak. Five minutes before half-time, Leicester avoided a penalty when Schmeichel fouled Yannick Carrasco in the box, but the referee did not give a penalty.

The remaining 45 minutes saw the Foxes give the audience what could be their best half of the Champions League this year. Shakespeare brought on Ben Chilwell and Leonardo Ulloa to replace Shinji Okazaki and defender Yohan Benalouane to provide more cover for Jamie Vardy.

That worked for Vardy's equaliser. Chilwell met Albrighton's cross and volleyed it in. The ball hit Stefan Savic and found Vardy. The England striker finished smartly as Atletico defenders and the goalkeeper covered the goal with their bodies.

Leicester had 17 shots in the second half to Atletico's two and dominated with long balls. However, Diego Simeone's side defended in depth and were not afraid to throw themselves at their goal.

Leicester players deserve praise for their efforts in the second half. Photo: Reuters.

There were two occasions when Atletico defenders used their bodies to block close-range shots that could have resulted in goals. The first was when Lucas Hernandez blocked Ulloa's shot. Two minutes later, Savic blocked Vardy's volley. Mahrez hit a free-kick over the bar. At the end of the match, centre-back Wes Morgan limped off injured and Leicester's hopes of progressing vanished.

Leicester were the last Premier League team to be eliminated. They had an impressive run, beating Club Brugge, Copenhagen and Porto to top Group G. In the round of 16, the Foxes excelled against Sevilla - the team that won the Europa League three times in a row recently. Reaching the quarter-finals was a success for Leicester. It may be a long time before their fans have a chance to taste the Champions League atmosphere.

According to VNE