Leicester City vs Newcastle reaction: Rafael Benitez and Claudio Ranieri braced for crucial run-in at both ends

Leicester City 1 Newcastle United 0

Rafael Benitez and Claudio Ranieri greet each other (Getty)

Rafael Benítez and Claudio Ranieri, in situations neither could have foreseen last August, share a common managerial heritage but it is the Leicester City chief, rather than the man Newcastle hope can repair their latest crisis, who will sleep easy tonight.

The manager’s office doors at Chelsea, Napoli, Internazionale and Valencia have all been adorned with the names ‘Benitez’ and ‘Ranieri’ in the past.

Despite starting the campaign as Carlo Ancelotti’s anointed successor at the Santiago Bernabéu, Benítez now finds himself embroiled in the most vicious of relegation scraps with North East foes Sunderland and, of course, in direct competition with personal enemy Sam Allardyce.

His Leicester counterpart, meanwhile, is the one scheming for European football next season while it remains a stark reality that Newcastle will be entertaining the likes of Burton Albion and Milton Keynes Dons in the Championship next season.

“The race is open,” the Italian insisted after Leicester’s 1-0 success on Monday night, despite having watched his side reopen a five-point advantage at the Premier League summit.

“We are fighting for Europe and then maybe with four or five matches left, maybe we are fighting for the Champions League. I want to fight every match.

“Now our concentration is about Crystal Palace [their next opponents], another difficult match. We will go to battle there.”

Shinji Okazaki, in the 25th minute, corkscrewed his body to arrow in Leicester’s winner, a stunning overhead kick in the penalty area, to see off a dogged and organised Magpies outfit.

The beauty of the Japan international’s fifth goal of the season will be lost on Newcastle supporters, however, as their plight worsened yet further in the East Midlands.

There is nothing to be done about this latest set-back, the points are lost, but there is a Tyne-Wear derby to plot for now. Another chance for redemption in a fixture which has reaped such heartache in recent years.

“We know our next game against Sunderland is a derby and it will be important for everyone,” Benítez said, “but I have a feeling the fans are really good and they are the number 12 for the next game. We have plenty of things to do and they need to rest and work hard.

“I like the people, the staff, the fans and everyone is behind the club. Everything is positive but now we have to give them what they want on the pitch. We cannot change this result but we can be happy in terms of the commitment of the players.”