Rennes 2 Leicester 1 (agg 2-3): Foxes survive scare in raucous atmosphere as returning Fofana secures quarter-final spot
WESLEY FOFANA ended eight months of injury hell by heading Leicester City into the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.
The 21-year-old Frenchman made a spectacular return from the broken leg, suffered against Villarreal in pre-season, when he cancelled out Benjamin Bourigeaud’s early opener with a soaring header.
The Foxes were made to suffer when sub Flavien Tait restored Rennes’ lead late on with a drilled shot which deflected in off Fofana’s studs.
But Brendan Rodgers’ heroes side grimly held on as Kasper Schmeichel defied Sehrou Guirassy with a stunning late point-blank save with his outstretched left boot as Rennes laid siege to the Dane’s goal.
And there were ugly scenes at the end as Rennes lost the plot.
Warmed Omari was lucky to stay on the field after an over-the-ball tackle on Harvey Barnes, which he then followed up by striking James Justin twice on the face.
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And there was more mayhem on the final whistle when Hamari Traore struck James Maddison – all of which escaped the attention of the referee.
When the dust had settled Fofana was left singing in the Rennes – what a wonderful feeling.
The defender celebrated his return by scoring his first Foxes goal in his 39th appearance for the club, after last scoring for Saint-Etienne in December 2019.
Earlier Rodgers was made to feel at home as the hosts belted out Irish songs for 90 minutes prior to kick-off to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
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However, his players faced a hostile reception from a frenzied home support, intent on roaring their heroes into a European quarter-final for the first time in their history.
Within eight minutes they had pierced Leicester’s defence to seize the early goal Rennes craved.
Adrien Truffert supplied Martin Terrier on the left and when the winger took Schmeichel out with a ferocious drilled cross, Bourigeaud stole in front of Luke Thomas to stab the ball home from close range.
Leicester were on the ropes and there was more pain to follow when Marc Albrighton suffered a groin injury in the lead up to the goal and had to be replaced by Ademola Lookman.
The Foxes tried to respond and Barnes had a shot beaten away one-handed by Rennes’ teenage stand-in goalie Dogan Alemdar.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then lacked the pace required to punish Rennes’ exposed defence before Alemdar raced from his goal to beat Kelechi Iheanacho to Youri Tielemans’ lofted pass.
Despite Rennes enjoying 71 per cent of possession, Leicester made it to half-time without Schmeichel making a save but the tie was balanced on a knife edge.
Amartey thought he had levelled just after the restart when he powered in a header from Lookman’s deep corner until Alemdar defied him with an instinctive save.
But the kid ‘keeper was powerless when Fofana scored his first goal for Leicester to seal his remarkable comeback.
Lookman swept over another corner and Fofana soared to guide his header inside the far post with Alemdar helpless.
Then came the Rennes onslaught but the Foxes, just about, stood firm to progress.