It’s time for some serious business in the Europa Conference League. Europe’s third-bet international club competition may not be as rich in high-profile clubs and players like the Champions League or the Europa League. Still, the variety on offer keeps the competition fresh for the fans and the athletes alike. Leicester City leader Kasper Schmeichel told the LCFC website that he enjoys facing some new opponents.”Getting experiences of going to places like France, or even a place in Denmark that I’d never been before, and play different types of teams in different stadiums is exciting. For the fans, as well, they get to travel and have some experiences different to their usual away day. European football is great for a football club and great for a player to be part of. I personally love playing European football.”There is no goalkeeper at the moment who is so good at saving from point blank than Kasper Schmeichel. #FPL pic.twitter.com/WVpaDXc4Mj— JK FDA ⚽ (@JKFDAOfficial) March 6, 2022 The 35-year-old proven shot-stopper is rarely mentioned as one of the best in the business. But looking at his achievements and saves, you have to ask how he managed to go almost unnoticed all these years.”For me, as a goalkeeper, goalkeeping has been about stability. It’s never been about flashy performances or being eye-catching, it’s about being as anonymous as you can and making things look easy. The key is not being noticed and providing a solid base for a team over a long period. As a ‘keeper, I can’t win games. I can keep us in the games and give us a platform, but the best games are always the ones where you don’t notice the ‘keepers, for me. That means the team is playing at its optimum.”Reds paid half a million to sign the new Andy Robertson last year. Now’s he’s become a professionalLeicester manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that both Jamie Vardy and Wesley Fofana would miss the first leg. Vardy sustained a knee injury in the 1-0 win over Leeds United, while Fofana has tested positive for Covid. Les Rouge et Noir currently sit fourth in France’s top tier after an extensive summer of recruitment at the season’s outset. A 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in October offered a glimpse of their potential and they continue to challenge for UEFA Champions League qualification. Slapping players, smoking cigars and donating wine: meet one weird football presidentThey currently sit one point away from a third-place finish which would achieve that objective, while the Brittany club also remain unbeaten in European competition so far this term – after facing Rosenborg, Tottenham Hotspur, Vitesse and Mura. They have won their last three games in Ligue 1 too.Hopefully, their captain Schmeichel will be able to go unnoticed once again.EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUERound of 16 – first legThursday20.45: (2.75) PAOK (3.05) Gent (3.00)20.45: (4.40) Vitesse (3.50) Roma (1.95)20.45: (1.65) Slavia Praha (3.80) LASK (5.50)20.45: (3.70) Partizan (3.20) Feyenoord (2.25)23.00: (1.53) Olympique Marseille (4.40) Basel (6.75)23.00: (2.30) Leicester (3.40) Rennes (3.35)23.00: (1.55) PSV (4.30) Copenhagen (7.00)23.00: (3.20) Bodo (3.35) AZ Alkmaar (2.40)***odds are subject to change
