Wesley Fofana made a dream comeback after seven months out injured, as his goal helped Leicester City overcome Rennes and advance to the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
Leicester won the first leg 2-0 at the King Power Stadium, but their lead was halved in eight minutes when Benjamin Bourigeaud finished off a low cross from Martin Terrier.
But central defender Fofana, 21, playing for the first time since breaking his leg in a pre-season friendly against Villarreal in August, headed in from Ademola Lookman’s corner.
The Frenchman ran and hugged manager Brendan Rodgers in emotional scenes, although that was not the last of the goals.
Rennes regained the lead on the night through substitute Flavien Tait’s low shot into the bottom corner in the 77th minute, with the hosts needing one more goal to force extra time.
They narrowly missed it, but Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made an excellent save with his legs to deny Serhou Guirassy in the 85th minute.
The Foxes held on to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory to progress to the quarter-finals of a European competition for the second time in their history, after losing to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2017. .
The draw for the next round takes place on Friday in Switzerland.
- Thursday European Games Live Text Commentary
Leicester edge thriller to stay on course for first European trophy
For Leicester, 12th in the Premier League but a long way from European qualification and far from the relegation zone, this competition provides their main source of excitement for the rest of the campaign.
In the last two years, they have been pushing to qualify for the Champions League and finished fifth in successive campaigns before winning the FA Cup for the first time last season.
That took them to the Europa League but, after finishing only third in their group, they fell to the third-tier Europa Conference League.
Following the home win in the first leg, Rodgers warned his players that the tie was not over and they would have to “suffer a bit” in the second leg in north-west France.
That was certainly the case in a hectic match at a packed and noisy Roazhon Park with the game being played in an excellent atmosphere.
Rennes, fourth in Ligue 1, got off to a brilliant start, scoring early and putting the Foxes under pressure, before Fofana’s goal early in the second half seemed to have calmed the visitors’ nerves.
But Tait’s goal set up a frantic and exciting finish with Leicester defenders throwing their bodies in front of the ball and Baptiste Santamaria firing wide in the 92nd minute as the Foxes held on.
- lineups
- match statistics
- live text
lineups
Rennes
Training 4-3-3
- 40German
- 27I broughtReserved at 90 minutes
- 23OmariReserved at 90 minutes
- 6AguerdReserved at 71 minutes
- 3TruffertReplaced forFusionon 76′minutes
- twenty-oneHigher
- 28MartinReplaced forTaiton 58′minutes
- 8Santa Maria
- 14Bourigeaud
- 24The edgeReserved at 47 minutesReplaced forTchaounaon 76′minutes
- 7TerrierReplaced forGuirassyon 68′minutes
substitutes
- 9Guirassy
- 17Tchaouna
- 19Diouf
- twentyTait
- 22Assignment
- 25Fusion
- 26Ugochukwu
- 30Bonet
- 39Telephone
- 41belocian
- fiftyDamergy
leicester
Training 4-3-3
- 1Schmeichel
- twojustin
- 18Amartey
- 3fofanaReplaced forVestergaardon 78′minutes
- 33Thomas
- 8Tielemanns
- 25NdidiReplaced forMadisonon 60′minutesReserved at 90 minutes
- 22Dewsbury-HallReserved at 90 minutes
- elevenAlbrightonReplaced forlookouton 12′minutesReplaced forRicardo Pereiraon 78′minutes
- 14IheanachoReserved at 90 minutes
- 7Barnes
substitutes
- 10Madison
- 17perez
- twentyChoudhury
- twenty-oneRicardo Pereira
- 23Vestergaard
- 35Jakupovic
- 37lookout
- 51Odunze
- Referee:
- Anastasios Sidiropoulos
match statistics
- Possession
- House68%
- Outside32%
- Shots
- House12
- Outsideeleven
- shots on target
- House3
- Outside4
- corners
- House6
- Outside7
- faults
- House13
- Outside9
live text
-
Post Update
Match ends, Rennes 2, Leicester City 1.
-
Booking
Hamari Traoré (Rennes) is shown the yellow card.
-
Booking
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City) is shown a yellow card.
-
Full time
Second Half ends, Rennes 2, Leicester City 1.
-
Booking
James Maddison (Leicester City) is shown a yellow card.
-
Post Update
Hamari Traoré (Rennes) has been fouled on the right wing.
-
Post Update
Foul by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City).
-
Post Update
Attempt blocked. Loum Tchaouna (Rennes) headed shot from the right side of the box. Assisted by Benjamin Bourigeaud with a cross.
-
Booking
Warmed up Omari (Rennes) is shown the yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
-
Post Update
Foul by Warmed Omari (Rennes).
-
Post Update
Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) has been fouled in the defensive end.
-
Booking
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
-
Post Update
Birger Meling (Rennes) has been fouled in the defensive end.
-
Post Update
Foul by Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City).
-
Post Update
Foul by Warmed Omari (Rennes).
-
Post Update
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) has been fouled in the defensive end.
-
Post Update
Attempt blocked. Birger Meling (Rennes) left footed shot from the center of the box. Assisted by Benjamin Bourigeaud.
-
Post Update
Foul by Baptiste Santamaría (Rennes).
-
Post Update
James Maddison (Leicester City) has been fouled on the left flank.
-
Post Update
Failed attempt. Baptiste Santamaría (Rennes) shot with the right foot from the center of the area very close to the left post. Assisted by Flavien Tait.
Navigate to the last page
- Our Leicester City coverage is bigger and better than ever – here it is All you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
- Everything Leicester – go straight to the best content
Add Comment