STARS IN EUROPE - ALGERIA - CLUB - Slimani hits brace for Leicester

Leicester City FC Islam Slimani

 

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
SAT, 17 SEPT 2016

Leicester City vs Burnley 3:0 

Goals:
Slimani: 45'+1 min, 48'min
Mee: 78'min / og

Leicester City's club record signing Islam Slimani marked his Premier League debut with two goals as the champions outclassed Burnley.

Leicester City have take seven points from their three home games this season

The striker opened the scoring in the last minute of the first half with a header from Christian Fuchs' free-kick.

He made it two just after the restart with another header and Ben Mee's own goal completed the scoring.

The win capped off a great week for the Foxes, who also won 3:0 at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday.
        
Superb Slimani

Slimani, who arrived for a reported £29m from Sporting Lisbon last month, had a Premier League debut to remember.

The 28-year-old Algerian should have opened his account when he somehow failed to connect with a deep cross from Marc Albrighton before he got off the mark for his new club.

Matt Lowton needlessly fouled Albrighton on the left-hand edge of the area in the last minute of the first half and Slimani powerfully headed home Fuchs' free-kick.

He was celebrating his second goal in the 48th minute with another header after Jamie Vardy flicked on Riyad Mahrez's low cross after the Clarets gave away the ball in their own half.

His goals were not the only thing that stood out on Saturday, though, as he linked up well with fellow Algerian Mahrez and strike partner Vardy.

Manager Claudio Ranieri, whose team had picked up only four points from their first four league matches before Saturday, will also have been pleased with the industry his new striker showed when closing down the Burnley defence.

'Four minutes of madness' cost Clarets

It was a hard afternoon for Sean Dyche's side.

They could have got the day's first goal when Steven Defour headed straight at Ron-Robert Zieler after Scott Arfield headed George Boyd's cross across goal to him.

However, they never recovered from conceding the first goal and were probably fortunate to only lose by a three-goal margin.
Dyche started with a five-man midfield but this left Andre Gray isolated. 

Once the Foxes scored their second goal, the Burnley striker was a mere spectator as the hosts showed why they were last season's champions.

The Clarets could do little to stop Mahrez and he claimed the assist for the third goal when Mee put though his own goal from his low cross.

What the managers said

Foxes victory good for confidence - Ranieri

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri: "I am very happy with the result and the performance of the players. 

I was curious to see how my players reacted after the Champions League and they reacted very well.

"After the victory in the Champions League, it was very important to continue in the Premier League.

"We scored three goals and Islam Slimani scored twice. 

I think our fans are very happy.

It's important Slimani continues to score because if he only scores in the first match we have a problem. 

He is a good lad and very happy."