Updated February 23, 2017 10:51:04

Photo: Jamie Vardy's first Champions League goal could not have come at a better time for Leicester against Sevilla. (AP: Miguel Morenatti)

Leicester City has gone from fairytale champion to the doghouse in less than 12 months, but a vital goal from Jamie Vardy in a 2-1 Champions League loss to Sevilla could be the boost its season needs.

Last year the team stunned the world, outlasting all the biggest teams to win the Premier League title - but since then it had all gone wrong for Leicester.

After a poor start to the season, the Foxes have not scored a single goal in the Premier League so far in 2017, with the defending champions slumping to 17th on the table, just a point above the drop zone with 13 games left.

With relegation very much on the cards, and manager Claudio Ranieri's position in question, Leicester's only ray of sunshine this season had been in the Champions League where the Foxes had won their group to qualify for the last 16.

For most of the match in Seville, however, they played like their form suggested - very much second-best to the dominant five-time Europa League winners.

Photo: Sevilla could have put their Champions League tie out of reach, but were left to rue a miss by Vitolo. (AP: Miguel Morenatti)

Leicester were outplayed by the home side, who had 80 per cent of possession in the first half, and it took a number of brilliant saves from Kasper Schmeichel to keep them in the game, while Sevilla's Vitolo hit the inside of the post.

Pablo Sarabia headed the hosts into a deserved lead in the 25th minute after Schmeichel had saved Joaquin Correa's penalty after 14 minutes.

The half-time break brought no change in intensity from Leicester, and Argentine forward Correa made amends by netting just after the hour mark after inspired play from Stevan Jovetic.

At 2-0, a dispirited Leicester looked out of it. But things changed when Ranieri brought on speedy winger Demarai Gray for Ahmed Musa.

Photo: Leicester City may have lost to Sevilla on the night, but manager Claudio Ranieri (2L) was upbeat after the game. (AP: Miguel Morenatti)

With 17 minutes left, Gray produced a perfect pass to send Danny Drinkwater off down the left, before the midfielder then swung a low cross in for Vardy to smash it home into the net for his first-ever goal in the Champions League.

Sevilla had chances to extend the lead, but could not take them, and the visitors looked upbeat after holding on for a 2-1 loss.

All of a sudden, with away goals counting double if the score is tied on aggregate after the second leg in Leicester on March 15 (AEDT), the Foxes are a chance of pulling off the upset and making it to the quarter-finals of Europe's greatest club competition.

In the other match of the night, Juventus established themselves as favourites to make the last eight with a 2-0 win away to FC Porto.

Topics: sport, soccer, champions-league, spain, england, portugal, italy

First posted February 23, 2017 10:27:53