- Leicester let slip a two-goal lead and had Wilfred Ndidi sent off as Victor Osimhen crowned a superb individual display with a double strike to earn Napoli a deserved point from a thrilling Europa League tie.
- Goals from Ayoze Perez and Harvey Barnes looked to have given Leicester victory in their Group C opener only for Osimhen to strike twice, with the second arriving in the 87th minute.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Victor Osimhen of Napoli scores a goal to make it 2-2 during the UEFA Europa League group C match between Leicester City and SSC Napoli at The King Power Stadium on September 16, 2021 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
Leicester just missed out on Champions League football for a second consecutive season as they finished fifth in the Premier League last season.
But the Foxes are keen to go further than their run to the last 32 of the Europa League last season and got off to a great start against the Italian giants.
Ayoze Perez fired home at the back post from Harvey Barnes’ cross after just nine minutes.
Patson Daka then saw his first Leicester goal ruled out by a VAR review for a marginal offside call, but Barnes quickly put that disappointment behind Brendan Rodgers’ men with an excellent finish to double Leicester’s lead.
Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti held nothing in reserve with his strongest side and the visitors responded in the final quarter thanks to Osimhen.
The Nigerian, who cost €70 million ($83 million) from Lille last year, brilliantly flicked the ball over the imposing presence of Jannik Vestegaard and Kasper Schmeichel to get Napoli back in the game.
Osimhen then outjumped Caglar Soyuncu to power home a head for a deserved equaliser.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Victor Osimhen of SSC Napoli scores their side’s second goal whilst under pressure from Caglar Soyuncu of Leicester City during the UEFA Europa League group C match between Leicester City and SSC Napoli at The King Power Stadium on September 16, 2021 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
And Leicester’s night got even worse in stoppage time when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City receives a red card during the UEFA Europa League group C match between Leicester City and SSC Napoli at The King Power Stadium on September 16, 2021 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
Leicester resume their Premier League campaign away to Brighton at 2pm on Sunday. Their next Europa League game is away to Legia Warsaw on September 30.