Jamie Vardy scored a dramatic injury-time goal to send Leicester into the knockout stage of the Europa League with a draw against Braga.
The substitute turned home Marc Albrighton’s cross as the Foxes came from behind three times to draw.
Al Musrati blasted Braga ahead and Harvey Barnes equalised before Paulinho netted for the hosts.
Luke Thomas got the Foxes level and Fransergio looked set to win it for Braga before Vardy’s late goal.
Zorya Luhansk’s 3-0 win at AEK Athens in the group’s other game meant a draw was enough for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
The Foxes were indebted to goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for keeping them in the game at stages, before the visitors’ substitutes turned the game round.
Leicester’s subs make the difference
Leicester – perhaps buoyed from a comfortable 4-0 win in their previous meeting with Braga – kept many of their stars on the bench in case of emergency.
In the end they needed them.
Braga fully deserved their 2-1 half-time lead as Al Musrati drilled home and Ricardo Horta rounded Schmeichel before finding Paulinho. In between those goals, Barnes smashed home from a tight angle.
Schmeichel denied Paulinho on three occasions and Horta on another.
The turning point was the half-time introductions of Wesley Fofana and Youri Tielemans, and the 62nd-minute introduction of Vardy and James Maddison.
Vardy had a goal ruled out for offside moments after coming on and Fofana started a move and Maddison crossed for teenager Thomas to score his first goal in professional football and become Leicester’s youngest European goalscorer.
Leicester’s decision to look for a winner appeared to have backfired when goalkeeper Matheus caught a cross and started a quick counter which ended in Wenderson Galeno finding substitute Fransergio to put Braga 3-2 up in the 90th minute.
But Vardy started a move which he then finished when he stabbed home Albrighton’s cross at the back post.
One more win will clinch the group for Leicester but Rodgers has the luxury of fielding a weak team in the final two games if that is not a major priority.
Line-ups
Sporting Braga
- 1Lima Magalhães
- 3Tormena de Farias
- 36Viana Willemen Da Silva
- 5Cruz Jerónimo Sequeira
- 47de Sousa Esgaio
- 8Al MusratiBooked at 64mins
- 88Castro PereiraSubstituted forLuz Hortaat 87′minutes
- 90do Nascimento Galeno
- 45Picanco MedeirosSubstituted forRodrigues Barbosaat 77′minutes
- 21da Luz HortaSubstituted forMelo da Silvaat 69′minutes
- 20Dias FernandesBooked at 84minsSubstituted forSchettine Guimaraesat 87′minutesBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 2Teixeira Lopes dos Reis Gonçalves
- 6Pires da Fonseca
- 7Barradas Novais
- 9Ruiz
- 12Sá
- 15Luz Horta
- 27Rodrigues Barbosa
- 34Melo da Silva
- 71Infande
- 79Duarte Couto
- 93Veiga Santos
- 95Schettine Guimaraes
Leicester
- 1Schmeichel
- 2Justin
- 6EvansBooked at 53mins
- 28FuchsSubstituted forFofanaat 45′minutes
- 11AlbrightonBooked at 52mins
- 26PraetSubstituted forTielemansat 45′minutes
- 20Choudhury
- 33Thomas
- 19ÜnderSubstituted forVardyat 62′minutes
- 15BarnesSubstituted forMaddisonat 62′minutes
- 14IheanachoSubstituted forPérezat 69′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Fofana
- 5Morgan
- 8Tielemans
- 9Vardy
- 10Maddison
- 12Ward
- 17Pérez
- 24Mendy
- 35Jakupovic
- Referee:
- Daniele Orsato
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Sporting Braga 3, Leicester City 3.
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Second Half ends, Sporting Braga 3, Leicester City 3.
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Goal! Sporting Braga 3, Leicester City 3. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marc Albrighton with a cross.
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Jonny Evans (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Guilherme Schettine (Sporting Braga).
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Matheus.
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Guilherme Schettine (Sporting Braga) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Guilherme Schettine (Sporting Braga).
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Goal! Sporting Braga 3, Leicester City 2. Fransergio (Sporting Braga) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Wenderson Galeno following a fast break.
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James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by André Horta (Sporting Braga).
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Foul by Wesley Fofana (Leicester City).
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Nuno Sequeira (Sporting Braga) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Sporting Braga. Guilherme Schettine replaces Paulinho.
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Substitution, Sporting Braga. André Horta replaces André Castro.
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Attempt missed. Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) header from very close range is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Maddison with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Nuno Sequeira.
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Paulinho (Sporting Braga) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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