Braga coach Carlos Carvalhal was left ruing Jamie Vardy’s last-gasp equaliser after the 3-3 Europa League draw with an ‘absolutely fantastic’ Leicester City team, while speaking to Desporto.
The Foxes might have dropped points for the first time in the competition, but Brendan Rodgers won’t care too much about that after a dramatic fight-back which secured their place in the knockout rounds.
A brilliantly taken Fran Sergio strike looked to have earned Braga a famous win against the 2016 Premier League champions, before super-sub Vardy snaffled a 95th-minute leveller thanks to a trademark Marc Albrighton cross.
Harvey Barnes and homegrown left-back Luke Thomas were also on target as Leicester picked up a tenth point from 12 available in Group G.
“This was a Braga team playing eye-to-eye against a team that was the leader of the best league in world. A very strong team, with an absolutely fantastic squad,” the former Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City boss reflected.
“We are to be congratulated, my players were stoic and played a fantastic game.
“If it was not for Vardy (we would have won). (Kelechi) Iheanacho scored two goals in the other game. Their squad is all very valuable.”
Carvalhal did admit, however, that he should perhaps have employed a more conservative game plan against one of the most free-flowing, forward-thinking attacking teams in the Europa League.
“What we learned in Leicester is that we cannot play against a team like this and open up. We tried to do to Leicester what we do to teams in the Primeira Liga. We cannot do it. It was the lesson learned.”
While Leicester fans were treated to the familiar sight of Vardy celebrating a decisive goal, the Europa League once again gave an opportunity for some of Rodgers’ fringe players to impress.
Iheanacho, Cengiz Under and Luke Thomas, in particular, did just that on Thursday night.
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