Leicester City supporters spent the afternoon mingling with the best clubs, with President Ayawat Srivadhanaprabha among those who ventured into the atmosphere of Markt Eindhoven, one of the city’s main squares, and promised to have a sensible after-party after watching the team they are lagging behind to complete their late return and reach the first European semi-final.
James Madison’s equalizer fueled Leicester’s faith and Ricardo Pereira intervened in the backcourt after reserve Patson Dhaka, who had previously ruled out a golden chance to equalize, was rejected. Leicester will face Roma or Bodo / Glimt in the last four of the Europa League.
Madison had shown determination to take this game to the neck, his appetite was clear when he slipped between Eric Gutierrez and Andre Ramalo to dig a hole, and it was no surprise that he provided Leicester with a lifeline to build on after as they fell behind after Eran Zahavi’s strike in the first half.
A PSV supporter threw his beer at Madison when the midfielder was beaten by his teammates, and Brendan Rodgers smiled when Pereira sealed the victory with two free minutes. It was a flawless finish, but a well-executed move, the impressive Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall released Ademola Lukman, who chose Dhaka in the penalty area.
The smooth thing for Rodgers is that his team rejected two great revelations to alleviate such a drama before PSV hit in the 27th minute and a chance to equalize in the middle of the second half when Dhaka shot from the side. For the first time, Kelechi Iheanacho played a superb reverse pass from inside his own half to free Harvey Barnes, but the seemingly blinking winger ignored the unmarked Madison on the right and deflected it to the side. Rodgers ran his fingers over his face, and Madison was not so impressed. PSV would have taken the lead if Casper Schmeichel had not received a strong right hand for Mario Goetze’s thunderous volley.
James Madison equalized for Leicester in the 77th minute. Photo: Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Schmeichel made a clever save on a nearby beam to turn down Joey Weermann two minutes before PSV hit Zahavi. Goetze took advantage of Yuri Tillemans’ free pass and slipped into Zahavi, whose shot into the far pocket of Leicester’s door from an awkward angle resembled snooker sweat. This goal inevitably moved the hosts, but Leicester continued to create situations, as Madison twice approached. His deflected shot was hooked off the line by Jordan Taizé and he passed from the inside of the penalty area after crossing Gutierrez, approaching the gap, after Timothy Castane hit his head through the back post after meeting a cross from Tillemans.
Rodgers made a double substitution at halftime, Luckman and Dhaka replaced Barnes and Mark Albrighton. Leicester gave PSV captain Cody Gakpo an opening shortly after the interval when Tillemans’ pass was intercepted halfway through, but Schmeichel saved comfortably. Wirman then punched a wide shot through Wesley Fofana’s outstretched boot to let Schmeichel ask questions about his defense.
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If Barnes’ early chance was great, Dhaka’s was huge. Iheanacho hooked a clever ball over PSV’s defense and Dhaka rushed one-on-one with goalkeeper Yvonne Mvogo, but the striker, perhaps repulsed by Taizé’s determination to make life difficult, missed his shot. A minute later, Madison twisted a long-distance shot that sent Mvogo low to get around the crossbar, but his desire to make a difference didn’t end there, turning the retreat of Aiose Perez’s deputy before Pereira completed his return.
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