This Week In History: Barcelona, Schmeichel’s Debut & 2015/16 Begins
On 3 August, 2016, the 2015/16 champions of England, Leicester City, contested their third and final International Champions Cup fixture against FC Barcelona at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.
Having drawn with Celtic in Glasgow and lost out to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in California, City headed to the Swedish capital to conclude their involvement in a pre-season tournament that also included Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus.
Foxes Take On Barcelona In 2016/17 Pre-Season
Ahmed Musa scored twice for the Foxes in a 4-2 defeat by Barcelona in our International Champions Cup fixture in Stockholm on 3 August, 2016.
The Spanish side quickly raced into a 3-0 lead after goals from Munir El Haddadi (2) and Luis Suárez, before two superb Ahmed Musa strikes reduced the deficit. However, Rafa Mújica’s effort six minutes from time secured a 4-2 win for the 2015/16 La Liga winners.
Five years earlier, on 6 August, 2011, Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made his debut for the Football Club in a 1-0 victory at Coventry City.
Darius Vassell was sent off after just 11 minutes before Coventry’s Carl Baker was also dismissed six minutes before the interval.
Peltier Sinks Coventry As Schmeichel Makes Debut
Lee Peltier scored the only goal of the game on 6 August, 2011 - a day that also saw Kasper Schmeichel make his debut for the Club.
A header from Lee Peltier on 52 minutes secured all three points on the opening day of the 2011/12 Championship season, and marked the first of Schmeichel’s 377 starts for the Foxes.
On 7 August, 2016, just four days after City’s International Champions Cup clash with Barcelona, Claudio Ranieri’s men faced Manchester United in the FA Community Shield.
While Leicester had won the Premier League, the Red Devils had beaten Crystal Palace 2-1 in the FA Cup Final to set up the season’s traditional curtain-raiser at Wembley Stadium.
Foxes Face Man Utd In 2016 Community Shield
Leicester City were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley on 7 August, 2016.
Jamie Vardy cancelled out former Fox Jesse Lingard’s opening strike in front of 85,000 fans, but a late goal from Zlatan Ibrahimović denied City their second FA Community Shield, having won the FA Charity Shield in 1971.
City’s place at Wembley came as a result of their title win, which on 8 August, 2015 got underway against Sunderland at a sunny King Power Stadium.
First Win Of 2015/16 Title-Winning Campaign
The Foxes beat Sunderland 4-2 in their first Premier League fixture of their famous title-winning season on 8 August, 2015.
As favourites for relegation, Ranieri’s men started the season with a 4-2 victory on Filbert Way, courtesy of goals from Vardy and Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez’s brace.
That success marked the start of the greatest season in the Club’s long history, as they went on to win the Premier League title by 10 clear points.