Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson’s first return to Leicester City since leaving the club in 2015 ended in defeat with a 1-0 victory for his former team who moved back to the top of the Championship.
The match-winning goal came from Jamie Vardy, a player Pearson brought to the King Power Stadium 13 years ago.
When Pearson was in charge, for his second spell at the club, he kept Leicester up in their first season back in the Premier League before being sacked that summer. But he was credited with building the core of Claudio Ranieri’s squad that went on to win the Premier League title in 2016.
Now manager of Bristol City, Pearson came back to Leicester on crutches due to a back problem. But there were to be no celebrations as Vardy’s 67th-minute penalty, after Kai Naismith had brought down Wilfred Ndidi, set up Leicester’s seventh Championship win of the season, and their third in successive games.
Stephy Mavididi set the tone for the game after three minutes when he volleyed just wide from the edge of the area.
But Bristol frustrated Leicester after that, inviting Enzo Maresca’s men to break them down.
Abdul Fatawu, making his first start since joining Leicester on loan from Sporting Lisbon, produced a powerful drive after cutting in from the right, but goalkeeper Max O’Leary did well to parry the shot.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then saw a goalbound shot blocked by Robins defender Kai Naismith after 30 minutes.
But, for all their possession, Leicester were let down by some poor decision making in the Bristol area.
Leicester maintained their pressure in the second half and almost took the lead after 55 minutes.
Fatawu’s cross was met by Dewsbury-Hall, whose close-range header was pushed out by O’Leary, and when Mavididi followed up, he had his shot blocked. A minute later, O’Leary had to be alert again to keep Mavididi out.
Pearson then made a triple substitution just before the hour mark.
But Leicester took the lead after 66 minutes when Ndidi was brought down by Naismith in the penalty area and Vardy converted from the penalty spot.
The striker then ran towards the travelling Bristol supporters, who had been taunting him before his penalty, and pointed to the name on his back.
It was a goal that relieved some of the tension at the King Power Stadium against a side that did not manage a shot on target until the final kick of the game.
Vardy’s goal was his third in the last five game in all competitions. But Jason Knight almost responded with an equaliser as his shot sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Leicester had one last anxious moment as Bristol substitute Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s free-kick was comfortably held by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Bayer Leverkusen's Puerta sets sights on Copa America
Gustavo Puerta's first season with Bayer Leverkusen could not have gone any better and the 20-year-old midfielder hopes his experience with the undefeated German side will earn him a place in Colombia's Copa America squad this summer.
Puerta has made eight appearances this season for Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 46 matches across all competitions under Xabi Alonso.
Leverkusen will play Roma in the Europa League semi-finals and are also through to the DFB-Pokal final.
"This year has been wonderful for me and for my career, I hope to keep winning titles and get minutes at the end of the tournament," Puerta, who has made five Bundesliga appearances, told Reuters.
Puerta enjoyed success with Colombia's under-20 side and has received his first call-up for the national team's friendlies against Spain and Romania in March.
He hopes to make an impression on coach Nestor Lorenzo with the Copa America on the horizon. The tournament takes place in the United States across June and July.
"Being in this team with an undefeated run is very important to be considered for the national team if the coach (Lorenzo) thinks I can contribute," he added.
"We haven't talked much about it, but he told me that he's keeping an eye on me, that he wants to see me play. I hope to get minutes in the end because it is a privilege to be in the national team, I want to wait for the call-up."
The Colombian added that playing for one of the top 10 teams in the world has not only improved his game but also given him confidence in his abilities.
"It helps you mature, spending time with great world-class players on a daily basis and training with them is important, they are very experienced and that makes a difference for someone as young as me," he added.
Puerta said he felt supported by the club and that he would be able to reach his full potential under Alonso.
"It was historic, very nice, very crazy to have won my first title in one of the top five leagues in Europe," he added.
Hull City 3-3 Ipswich Town: Tigers fight back three times to deny Tractor Boys
Ipswich Town missed the chance to move into an automatic promotion spot as play-off-chasing Hull City came from behind three times in a thrilling 3-3 Championship draw at The MKM Stadium.
Ipswich knew a victory would take them second after Leeds United were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers on Friday, and they led on three separate occasions, George Hirst opening the scoring before Omari Hutchinson produced two brilliant strikes from the edge of the area.
However, buoyed by slip-ups from rivals Norwich City and West Brom earlier on Saturday, Hull dug deep to fight back on each occasion, Ozan Tufan and Liam Delap scoring their first two equalisers.
With Liam Rosenior's men 3-2 down with just four minutes to play, substitute Noah Ohio blasted his shot in off the crossbar to punish an error from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
The result keeps Ipswich behind second-placed Leeds on goal difference, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand to come at Coventry City on Tuesday.
Hull, meanwhile, are two points adrift of the top six, with Norwich's goal difference advantage meaning their top-six spot is all but assured. The Tigers will, however, leapfrog West Brom if they beat Plymouth Argyle on the final day and Albion lose to Preston North End.
Data Debrief: Hutchinson's best not enough
Hutchinson was a man who deserved to be on the winning side on Saturday, giving Ryan Allsop no chance with two near-identical left-footed strikes from the right corner of the penalty area.
His goals came from an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.6, and he led all players on the pitch for shots (eight) and passes in the final third (21), also laying on three chances for his team-mates.
Al-Khaleej 0-1 Al-Nassr: Ronaldo misfires on return as Laporte nets winner
Cristiano Ronaldo returned from suspension but failed to find the net as Al-Nassr secured a 1-0 win over Al-Khaleej on Saturday, with Aymeric Laporte coming up with the decisive goal.
Ronaldo was in action for the first time since being sent off for an elbow in a 2-1 Saudi Super Cup loss to Al-Hilal earlier this month, with his initial two-match ban being reduced to one on appeal.
He missed three good chances as Al-Nassr threatened to fall further behind runaway Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, but former Manchester City defender Laporte spared his blushes by nodding Marcelo Brozovic's deep free-kick into the bottom-left corner with 68 minutes gone.
Al-Nassr remain nine points adrift of Al-Hilal at the summit in spite of their win, with Jorge Jesus' team unbeaten through 28 games this season as they close in on a record-extending 18th title.
Data Debrief: Ronaldo misfires on return
Ronaldo was presented with the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Month award for March ahead of kick-off, having scored four goals in three league appearances last month.
However, his sights were off on Saturday as he failed to net despite three of the visitors' four big chances, as defined by Opta, falling his way. He led all players on the pitch for expected goals (1.27 xG), shots (five), shots on target (three) and touches in the area (nine) without reward.
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