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SEVILLE. — Leicester City’s hopes of extending their European tour remain alive and it is impossible to look beyond Kasper Schmeichel for the reasons why.

While the Jamie Vardy party was restarted, on a peculiar night on Seville, it was Schmeichel who once again proved that he is destined to become a Premier League great.

His resistance on Wednesday night was remarkable, evoking memories of Joe Hart’s indefatigable display against Barcelona for Manchester City two seasons ago, and undoubtedly added a few more millions to his price tag.

With a penalty save in the first half, and at least three other outstanding moments, it was an individual performance that had Sevilla’s fiery head coach Jorge Sampaoli cursing the 30-year-old for playing at such “a high level”.

It provided another reminder of how Schmeichel belongs on this magical stage, his vast importance to Leicester and why he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the league’s top goalkeepers such as David De Gea and Hugo Lloris.

The comparisons with his father Peter, the legendary Manchester United goalkeeper, remain a constant irritant to him but he has emphatically made a name for himself now.

He is one of the few Leicester players to maintain standards since the fairytale of last season and the pre-match huddle with his team-mates underlined his commitment, at a time when others have been questioned.

Leicester are still in an almighty mess, with relegation to the Championship a genuine possibility, but it could be an even worse situation without Schmeichel.

He has given Leicester a huge chance of progressing to the quarter-finals and, whatever happens in the second leg on March 14th, the Dane is virtually certain to be operating in the Champions League somewhere next season.

Arsenal and Liverpool, to name just two, should be queuing up to sign him.

In the end it was another defeat, 1-2, but it was not anguish in Andalusia for Leicester City.

Improbably, their Champions League dream is still alive after a Vardy goal gave them hope when it appeared that all hope was gone against a vibrant Sevilla – and the large blue wedge of Leicester fans inside this atmospheric, vertiginous stadium chan­ted long after the final whistle in relief and, at last, enjoyment.

They have waited for this.

In a season that has collapsed around them, this campaign has been a precious, joyous lifeline – and one extended a little longer by that Vardy goal.

It was a Vardy goal of 2015-16 vintage, in fact.

Only a season ago but, at times, it feels like a different age.

Claudio Ranieri, Leicester’s beleaguered manager, almost knocked his glasses off when Vardy’s predatory first-time shot hit the net.

In a city known for its historic bullring, Ranieri said he would be the “matador” but, instead, his team appeared to be suffering a death by a thousand passes as Sevilla overran them at times with their high-energy, attacking football which also only served to show how one-dimensional the English champions can be.

That Vardy goal – his first in the Champions League – rolled back the months which have felt like years.

Danny Drinkwater exchanged passes with substitute Demarai Gray – who should have started instead of the ineffective Ahmed Musa – before charging towards the corner of the penalty area and sweeping the ball low across the six-yard box for Vardy to crash high into the net as he rushed in. — The Daily Telegraph.