Schmeichel Tips Mahrez To Star

A surprise inclusion in Vahid Halilhodzic’s squad for the finals, Mahrez will be hoping for the chance to show more of the sparkling talents that have made him such a hit with Leicester supporters since his arrival from Le Havre in January. 

And Schmeichel reckons the young winger has the quality to make a difference on the big stage when Algeria get their campaign under way against Belgium on 17 June. 

“If Riyad is given the chance, he has the potential to do well,” Schmeichel told lcfc.com. 

“As our fans will have seen, he’s an exciting player that gets people on the edge of their seats with his creativity and pace. He has the quality to create something out of nothing and those are the players every team wants to have. 

“He’s got very quick feet and he is a very good striker of the ball if given a sight of goal, but most importantly he has a quick mind when it comes to being creative. That can make all the difference.” 

Algeria kick off Group H in Belo Horizonte against the Belgians on 17 June, before heading to Porto Alegre for a date with Korea Republic five days later. Their final group game takes place in Curitiba against Russia on 26 June. 

Ranked 22nd in the world, Algeria head for Brazil looking to progress from the group stages for the first time in their history, having previously qualified for the finals on three occasions, most recently in 2010.