Champions League: Sevilla's own fairytale season doesn't include a happy ending for Leicester

Leicester City were the darling of the football world last season as they defied the odds to win the Premier League title. It took a large amount of luck as well as effort and self-belief but they were worthy champions and gained millions of new fans around the world. It was a dream campaign, a fairytale, but the sequel looks set to become a nightmare.

Some fans and members of the press have questioned whether Leicester supporters would’ve accepted winning the Premier League if it meant they’d be relegated the following season, a very real possibility as things stand. Am I the only one who finds that question beyond stupid? Being champions of England is worth a lot more than simply existing in the Premier League. It’s about glory, those brief moments of success in amongst seasons of nothing and close calls. No fan in their right mind would exchange that for a couple of seasons of extra money, extra money they won’t ever benefit from.

The nightmare only seems in effect when they’re playing in domestic competitions though, because in the Champions League the dream rolls on. Handed a relatively easy group they made quick work of it and were guaranteed top spot with a game to go, although losing that 5-0 away to Porto wasn’t the ideal way to round off proceedings. The objective was secured and this led to their clash with Sevilla, a side inspired by the success of Leicester themselves.

Sevilla were far from relegation candidates this term, or even in the previous few, but not many people predicted they’d be pushing Real Madrid and Barcelona all the way for the LaLiga title. For a club accustomed to losing their key players, generally to domestic rivals, this summer appeared a bigger blow than most for them to recover from.

Unai Emery, the coach who’d led them to three consecutive Europa League titles, swapped Sevilla for Paris – as did midfield lynchpin Grzegorz Krychowiak. Kevin Gameiro, their top scorer, joined Atletico Madrid. Ever Banega, crucial in terms of the side’s creativity, left for Inter Milan. Long-term stalwarts Jose Antonio Reyes and Coke also left for pastures new. It felt like it was the end of an era.

Even Monchi, the transfer genius who had so often made a broken squad better, offered his resignation but was ultimately convinced to stay. Jorge Sampaoli came in but within a couple of weeks rumours surfaced that Argentina wanted him to take over as national coach, threatening to throw Sevilla’s season further into crisis. A summer from hell, no doubt about it.

Maybe it was that disarray or perception of impending doom that inspired Sevilla into life, maybe it was the squad carefully constructed by Monchi and Sampaoli, but whatever it was they’re a force to be reckoned with this season. The 6-4 triumph over Espanyol on the opening day of the season put down a marker that, whatever happens, it was going to be one hell of a ride.

It happened to Leicester too. During the early days when people dismissed their chances of lasting the pace it was like water off a duck’s back. Lose and you can shrug it off as things going back to normal but continue winning and those detractors decrease week upon week.

For Sevilla it’s been a similar refrain as people originally said Sampaoli’s sides can’t defend. They’ve kept two clean sheets against Villarreal and one against Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Eibar who are all respectable LaLiga sides. Not forgetting five clean sheets in six Champions League matches including away in Turin against Juventus. This Sevilla side, much like Leicester last season, are very much the real deal.

Over here in Spain they’ve kept a close eye on Leicester this year and are well aware of their domestic plight. Truth be told, Sevilla fans are confident of beating anyone right now and when the draw was made, it was celebrated as they saw the Foxes as one of the weakest sides left in the competition. Now that train of thought is even stronger.

It’s hard to imagine a Leicester backline which has leaked 43 goals this season will stop the swashbuckling attack of Sevilla, the third highest scorers in LaLiga behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Leicester might point to their own success in the group stages as reason to be hopeful but when they faced anyone of decent quality away from home they were pelted 5-0. Safe or not, that doesn’t bode well for their chances on Spanish soil.

Can that creaking, leaky defence hold off Stevan Jovetic, Samir Nasri, Vitolo and Franco ‘Mudo’ Vazquez? It’s a tough ask. In LaLiga the only team to shut them out was Villarreal – they did it twice in fact – but Sevilla have found the net against everyone else. In Europe they’ve failed to find the net on away trips to Juventus and Lyon so there’s hope if Leicester can keep it tight in the first leg they could have a chance back in England.

Leicester’s hope will be on the counterattack, something they dominated a lot more in the previous campaign than in this one. Sevilla will press forward in numbers leaving a lot of gaps at the back. The idea they’ll change this approach is flawed as they did the same against Real Madrid and Barcelona too, knowing the risks but feeling the rewards were much greater if they remain true to themselves. One thing Leicester can’t afford to do is waste the chances which do come their way.

Sevilla might be confident but they’ve got nothing but respect for Leicester, their achievement last season and their form in Europe. “Leicester aren’t going through a good moment in the league but in the Champions League they finished first in their group and, in a two-legged tie, are a dangerous rival for us,” Sampaoli said ahead of the match this evening.

“The most important thing is how we work which should allow us an advantage against a rival who can easily cause us damage. They’re very direct and that’s worked in the Premier League, they scored goals against City. But we have our own way of playing and we should force that upon them, and if we don’t, they’re going to hurt us.”

Sevilla will want to score early and put the tie to bed. A drubbing and Leicester will focus their attentions on Premier League survival leaving Sampaoli’s men safe passage to the quarter finals of the Champions League and closer to their own fairytale season. Unfortunately for Leicester, the dream of Sevilla is to extinguish any beacon of hope or joy the English side has.

For one fairytale to begin, another has to end.