During his days at Sporting Clube from Portugal, Algerian striker Slimani found out first hand what it is to score goals against FC Porto. Leicester City's next rivals will prove an important test for the English side as they will play at King Power Stadium this Tuesday, but Claudio Ranieri has an ace up his sleeve who knows exactly how to hurt the Dragons.
Ranieri joked at a press conference: “With Slimani having scored so many goals against Porto in the past, I'm thinking whether to play him or not! Of course, I have spoken to him about Porto. He didn't come to me and I didn't go to him – we both came towards each other. I didn't know his nickname was the 'Dragonslayer' but he is sure to be a threat to Porto and we spoke about them for some time. We have a lot of respect for Porto because are one of the most experienced teams in the Champions League because they have played so many games at this level.
“They are used to being at the top because they have won the title six times in 10 years in Portugal, although they are third at the moment. I think our balance is OK – we are not favorites in the Premier League or the Champions League, but we know we must fight a lot and everything must be perfect for us to do something good. When you concede four goals at Liverpool or Manchester United, maybe it's normal because they are very strong, but it's not normal when we lose our way.
“Of course it's a concern when you concede so many goals because last season everything was perfect, but everyone is waiting for us now and we must forget what happened last year. And of course, for us to play in the Champions League is something special – but I'm not happy when my teams don't react. We can concede a goal, but I want to see us react every time. I spoke to the players and I'm sure they understood it all.”
Photo credit: Leicester City FC