Rennes 2-1 Leicester (2-3 on aggregate): Wesley Fofana scores in first game in seven months as Foxes advance in Europa Conference League

Wesley Fofana (number three) was playing his first competitive game for Leicester since 23 May

Wesley Fofana made a dream return after seven months out injured as his goal helped Leicester City edge past Rennes and move into the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.

Leicester won the first leg 2-0 at the King Power Stadium but their advantage was halved inside eight minutes when Benjamin Bourigeaud finished from Martin Terrier's low cross.

But 21-year-old central defender Fofana, playing for the first time since breaking a leg in a pre-season friendly against Villarreal in August, then glanced in a header from Ademola Lookman's corner.

The Frenchman ran and hugged boss Brendan Rodgers in emotional scenes, although that was not the last of the goals.

Rennes regained the lead on the night through substitute Flavien Tait's low strike into the bottom corner in the 75th minute, with the hosts needing one more goal to force extra-time.

They nearly got it, but Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made a superb save with his legs to deny Serhou Guirassy in the 85th minute.

The Foxes held on to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory to move into the last eight of a European competition for only the second time in their history, after they lost to Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2017.

The draw for the next round takes place on Friday in Switzerland.

Leicester edge thriller to stay on course for first European trophy

For Leicester, 12th in the Premier League but well adrift of European qualification and well clear of the relegation zone, this competition provides their main source of excitement for the rest of the campaign.

In the past two years they have been pushing for Champions League qualification and finished fifth in successive campaigns before winning the FA Cup for the first time last season.

That took them into the Europa League but, after only finishing third in their group, they dropped into the third-tier Europa Conference League.

After the home win in the first leg, Rodgers warned his players that the tie was not over and they would have to "suffer a little bit" in the second leg in north-west France.

That was certainly the case in a hectic match at a packed and noisy Roazhon Park with the game played in a superb atmosphere.

Rennes, fourth in Ligue 1, made a bright start, scored early on and put the Foxes under pressure, before Fofana's goal early in the second half looked to have settled the visitors' nerves.

But Tait's strike set up a frantic, thrilling finish with Leicester's defenders throwing their bodies in front of the ball and Baptiste Santamaria shooting wide in the 92nd minute.

Rennes appealed for a penalty deep in injury time after Harvey Barnes headed the ball off Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's arm in the area, but, with video assistant referees not being used in the competition until the final, it was not given, Leicester survived to hang on and advance.

Line-ups

Rennes

Formation 4-3-3

40Alemdar

27Traoré23Omari6Aguerd3Truffert

21Majer28Martin8Santamaría

14Bourigeaud24Laborde7Terrier

40Alemdar27TraoréBooked at 90mins23OmariBooked at 90mins6AguerdBooked at 71mins3TruffertSubstituted forMelingat 76'minutes21Majer28MartinSubstituted forTaitat 58'minutes8Santamaría14BourigeaudBooked at 73mins24LabordeBooked at 47minsSubstituted forTchaounaat 76'minutes7TerrierSubstituted forGuirassyat 68'minutes

Substitutes

9Guirassy17Tchaouna19Diouf20Tait22Assignon25Meling26Ugochukwu30Bonet39Tel41Belocian50Damergy

Leicester

Formation 4-3-3

1Schmeichel

2Justin18Amartey3Fofana33Thomas

8Tielemans25Ndidi22Dewsbury-Hall

11Albrighton14Iheanacho7Barnes

1Schmeichel2Justin18Amartey3FofanaSubstituted forVestergaardat 78'minutes33Thomas8Tielemans25NdidiSubstituted forMaddisonat 60'minutesBooked at 90mins22Dewsbury-HallBooked at 90mins11AlbrightonSubstituted forLookmanat 12'minutesSubstituted forRicardo Pereiraat 78'minutes14IheanachoBooked at 90mins7Barnes