- Leicester City are playing for a place in the final of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League
- Brendan Rodgers’ men travel to tackle Roma in the second leg at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday
- Kasper Schmeichel felt Leicester could have taken more from the first game, which ended 1-1
- City’s captain also spoke about the semi-final experience during the pre-match press conference
The last-four tie, an 8pm BST kick-off on Thursday evening, is finely poised following a 1-1 stalemate in the first fixture on Filbert Way, with City’s second-half equaliser, credited as an own goal for Gianluca Mancini, cancelling out Lorenzo Pellegrini’s earlier opener.
It’s a result Schmeichel feels did not represent Leicester’s dominance on proceedings, but speaking from LCFC Training Ground on Wednesday morning, ahead of flying out to Italy, he expects more of the same from a Roma side who will now carry home advantage in the all-important reverse leg.
“The way we played in the first leg was very good,” the Denmark international told the assembled media inside the King Power Centre in Seagrave. “It gives us confidence and it shows us that we can control these games. The only regret we can have is not scoring more.
“I think we controlled the game, and it sets it up nicely for tomorrow. But we obviously need to be ruthless, we need to tighten up in those moments. They had two chances and they scored one of them. We have to eliminate that and be clinical when we get ours.
“They are very well organised, very well drilled. I’d expect nothing less from a José Mourinho team. They’re a dangerous side, they showed that they can be clinical. They played the game how they wanted to play it.
“I think they were probably happy to get away with the draw so they could take it home and decide it at their stadium. Our focus is more on us than the opposition, it’s how we approach every game. It’s all about how we impose our style of football on them.”
Discussing the pressure attached to such an important game and the potential rewards for winning it, the skipper says the message is to play the game, rather than the atmosphere and occasion that will await at Stadio Olimpico, with a capacity-crowd expected to provide a hostile environment for the travelling Foxes.
The challenge is one that the 35-year-old, one of Leicester’s most experienced figures, who represented the Club during a historic UEFA Champions League run of 2016/17, is looking forward to.
City’s No.1 explained: “It’s the same as every single football game. It’s no different in terms of the occasion, you have to play the game. We’re up against a quality side playing at home in an iconic stadium, but all of that has to disappear for us and we have to focus on the game.
“You only enjoy the occasion if you win. It’s a simple as that. The message is to win. And then the enjoyment comes naturally after that. I think it’s easier for someone of my age to take stock and see how far the Club has come that we are in a position like this, but the focus just has to be winning.
“This is a great experience for so many players and these are the types of moments that you can look back on one day and draw on them when you need them. It all contributes to the mentality that you build and we’re looking to build a winning mentality, being in these situations and getting to the finals where everything is on the line.
“When you do get to these finals, when you’ve been there before, then you can draw upon those experiences. It’s always a great experience to play in places you’ve never played before and I’m very much looking forward to it.
“It provides a great opportunity to go and play in a European final. It’s great for the competition, for the clubs involved, for the fans, it’s another away trip that we can experience together. It’s very welcome.”
After a topsy-turvy campaign, the prospect of reaching a maiden European final and adding more silverware to a collection which has included the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and Championship during Schmeichel’s time at the Club, is one which excites the shot-stopper.
He added: “It’s been such a crazy season in terms of the congestion of the fixture list and the injuries we’ve had, COVID-19 and all these factors that we’ve had to contend with. Winning trophies is what you’re in football for, whatever competition it may be, but the only thought I’ve had is getting to the final.
“The infrastructure of the Club is in place to be successful. If we were to reach the final, I’d say that was a sustained period of time in terms of finals reached and trophies won. Leicester is an attractive club because we have one of the best facilities in the world, we’ve got lots of talent in the squad, an amazing manager and owner. Everything is there that needs to be.”