Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

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Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

Manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting to come up against a rejuvenated SC Braga side when Leicester City face their latest UEFA Europa League test at Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday.

2020-11-26T07:01:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

26 Nov, 2020

Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

Manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting to come up against a rejuvenated SC Braga side when Leicester City face their latest UEFA Europa League test at Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday.

Sam Jones

2020-11-26T07:01:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

Manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting to come up against a rejuvenated SC Braga side when Leicester City face their latest UEFA Europa League test at Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday.

Sam Jones

2020-11-26T07:01:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

Manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting to come up against a rejuvenated SC Braga side when Leicester City face their latest UEFA Europa League test at Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday.

Sam Jones

2020-11-26T07:01:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Rodgers On Maddison, The European Challenge & Braga's Ricardo

Manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting to come up against a rejuvenated SC Braga side when Leicester City face their latest UEFA Europa League test at Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday.

Sam Jones

2020-11-26T07:01:00.000Z

Braga will be looking to avenge their 4-0 defeat at Leicester City Stadium last time out, when goals from Kelechi Iheanacho (2), Dennis Praet and James Maddison secured victory for the hosts.

The Portuguese club have a formidable home record, however, winning their last three matches in all competitions and conceding just one goal in the process. Even without supporters inside the stadium, they are expected to pose a threat.

Therefore, Rodgers knows that the Foxes will have to be at the top of their game once more come Thursday evening, despite past results making them favourites for the 5:55pm GMT kick-off.

"In both games we always anticipate a tough game," the Northern Irishman told the media in his pre-match press conference at Braga's stadium on Wednesday.

"The first game was tough despite the scoreline. We played well in the game and scored some very good goals, but we'll prepare for a difficult game.

"You play at the high level and you know when you play against teams from other countries in this competition, they are at a high level, because they are used to winning.

"Our away form in the league has been very good and of course we won away in our game in Athens, but we don't underestimate Braga, even though our result was very good last week, we have to be ready for a really tough game."

Rodgers also spoke about one of Braga's attacking talents, Ricardo Horta, who scored in their 3-0 home victory over AEK Athens earlier in the Europa League campaign.

City's manager continued: "He's a young player who is doing very well. His profile is very good, he's tall, he's aggressive and he can play very well.

"Portugal has always produced fantastic players who often come into the Premier League once they've had their development, particularly here in Portugal, so he may be the next one to arrive in the Premier League."

Rodgers believes Leicester have been efficient in rising to the top of Group G, beating all three teams in the group, scoring nine goals and conceding just once.

He revealed that the team's full focus remains on securing progression into the knockout stages as quickly as possible.

"I've been very pleased," he admitted. "The group has good teams in it and will always make it difficult and tomorrow night will be exactly the same.

"But our objective starting out was to ensure that we qualified and that we started the group really, really well. We want to continue with that tomorrow. Of course if we can qualify as early as we can, that would be really helpful for us."

Foxes No.10 James Maddison could play a key role in helping to secure that qualification. The England international netted in the reverse fixture in early November after also adding his name to the scoresheet on his European debut, against Zorya Luhansk.

He, and all the players, will be looking forward to getting another chance to showcase their talents on the European stage, according to Rodgers.

"I think you go to play in Europe and it's a technical game," he added. "There's obviously lots of tactical concepts as well but he's the type of player that excites any supporter, whether it's back in the Premier League or in Europe.

"It's a wonderful experience, I said to all the players last year: 'our work is: can we get into Europe?'. Now we've made that step and the players are really embracing the challenge of it all.

"But they are thoroughly enjoying it, so this is why we play, to come to great countries like Portugal and play really good teams like Braga and then they can show their qualities."

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