Leicester lift International Champions Cup on penalties

AFP, GLASGOW: English Premier League champions Leicester City secured a penalty shoot-out victory over Celtic after a 1-1 draw in an International Champions Cup friendly in Glasgow on Saturday.
Last season’s PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez grabbed the opener for Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester in the opening minute of the second half with a wonderful individual goal.
With a Champions League third-round qualifying first leg at Astana in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers rang the changes at half-time, but 20-year-old Irish defender Eoghan O’Connell equalised just before the hour mark.
The International Champions Cup sees matches that are level after 90 minutes go straight to penalties, and after both sides were successful with their initial five kicks, Kasper Schmeichel saved from James Forrest and Daniel Amartey sealed a 6-5 win for Leicester.
The Foxes now head to the United States for a game in the same competition against French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in California on July 31, before taking on Barcelona in Sweden on August 3.
“Very happy today. We were concentrated and compact,” Ranieri told Leicester’s Twitter account.
“The players came back in good condition. We are getting better. Celtic’s fitness is ahead of ours. It was a good challenge.
“We have a long journey to LA now, but the experience of playing in these fantastic matches is important.”
Scottish champions Celtic face a tricky game in Kazakhstan as they look to reach the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2013.
Another report adds from London: former Wales striker Ched Evans, who spent two years in prison only to have his rape conviction quashed, scored on his return to football on Saturday.
Evans scored for third-tier English league club Chesterfield in a 3-0 pre-season friendly win at nearby seventh-tier side Ilkeston.
The 27-year-old played 59 minutes, scoring and setting up the opener.
His last match was for Sheffield United in April 2012.
Evans was jailed and sentenced for five years in 2012, being released in 2014, for raping a 19-year-old woman. The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction in April.
He will go on trial again for alleged rape in October and has pleaded not guilty.
The forward penned a one-year deal with Chesterfield in June.
The Spireites lost a sponsor just days after signing Evans. The company in question said it did so “in light of recent events”.
In the 2011-2012 season Evans — capped 13 times for Wales — scored 35 goals in all competitions for Sheffield United, then in the third-tier League One.

Leicester lift International Champions Cup on penalties

AFP, GLASGOW: English Premier League champions Leicester City secured a penalty shoot-out victory over Celtic after a 1-1 draw in an International Champions Cup friendly in Glasgow on Saturday. Last seasons PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez grabbed the opener for Claudio Ranieris Leicester in the opening minute of the second half with a wonderful individual goal. With a Champions League third-round qualifying first leg at Astana in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers rang the changes at half-time, but 20-year-old Irish defender Eoghan OConnell equalised just before the hour mark. The International Champions Cup sees matches that are level after 90 minutes go straight to penalties, and after both sides were successful with their initial five kicks, Kasper Schmeichel saved from James Forrest and Daniel Amartey sealed a 6-5 win for Leicester. The Foxes now head to the United States for a game in the same competition against French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in California on July 31, before taking on Barcelona in Sweden on August 3. Very happy today. We were concentrated and compact, Ranieri told Leicesters Twitter account. The players came back in good condition. We are getting better. Celtics fitness is ahead of ours. It was a good challenge. We have a long journey to LA now, but the experience of playing in these fantastic matches is important. Scottish champions Celtic face a tricky game in Kazakhstan as they look to reach the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2013. Another report adds from London: former Wales striker Ched Evans, who spent two years in prison only to have his rape conviction quashed, scored on his return to football on Saturday. Evans scored for third-tier English league club Chesterfield in a 3-0 pre-season friendly win at nearby seventh-tier side Ilkeston. The 27-year-old played 59 minutes, scoring and setting up the opener. His last match was for Sheffield United in April 2012. Evans was jailed and sentenced for five years in 2012, being released in 2014, for raping a 19-year-old woman. The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction in April. He will go on trial again for alleged rape in October and has pleaded not guilty. The forward penned a one-year deal with Chesterfield in June. The Spireites lost a sponsor just days after signing Evans. The company in question said it did so in light of recent events. In the 2011-2012 season Evans capped 13 times for Wales scored 35 goals in all competitions for Sheffield United, then in the third-tier League One.