Leicester City were forced to come from behind to beat Oxford United 2-1 in their opening pre-season match this evening.
Goals from Demarai Gray and Jeffrey Schlupp cancelled out Chris Maguire's opener at the Kassam Stadium as the newly-crowned Premier League champions got their preparations for their title defence off to a winning start.
The visitors were quick out of the blocks and put Oxford under heavy pressure in the opening 10 minutes, but the hosts' defence successfully repelled their attacks each time without the keeper being called into action.
Indeed, it was the League One side who took the lead after just 14 minutes when Maguire fired a fine free kick past Kasper Schmeichel from 20 yards after captain Wes Morgan, who signed a new three-year deal at the club shortly before kickoff, had committed a foul in a dangerous area.
The Foxes looked to respond immediately, but Gray fired over the crossbar from a difficult angle before Danny Drinkwater's long-range drive was kept out by Simon Eastwood.
The likes of Riyad Mahrez and Gray continued to show flashes of flair for the English champions, but Oxford almost doubled their advantage in the 27th minute when Wesley Thomas nodded over at the back post.
It would prove to be a costly miss for the hosts as Leicester went up the other end and equalised just a minute later, with Leonardo Ulloa starting the attack and Gray finishing it with a powerful low drive off the inside of the post.
Ulloa almost got his own name on the scoresheet with 10 minutes of the half remaining when he got on the end of Ben Chilwell's cross, but he couldn't keep his header down.
Gray and Mahrez both threatened again before the interval, and Leicester quickly picked up where they left off after the restart despite making five changes at half time.
One of those changes, Schlupp, was only denied by a fine last-ditch challenge from Aaron Martin less than 10 minutes into the second half, before Chilwell powered a shot of his own over the top shortly before the hour mark.
Claudio Ranieri made a further six subs with half an hour remaining, and new signing Ahmed Musa almost made an immediate impact when he unleashed a powerful strike that Eastwood needed to parry to safety.
Leicester did take the lead just two minutes later, though, as Schlupp finished off a slick team move by firing in a low drive from range.
The hosts almost responded immediately when Ryan Taylor let fly, but summer arrival Ron-Robert Zieler was equal to his effort.
The Leicester keeper was called into action again with nine minutes remaining when he comfortably collected a 25-yard strike from Jonny Giles, but that proved to be Oxford's last sight of goal as the Foxes held on for the win.
Ranieri's side will next face Nuneaton Town on Saturday before taking part in the International Champions Cup against the likes of Celtic and Paris Saint-Germain.
Barney Corkhill
