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Two Leicester players will go head-to-head for the first time at this year's European Championships on Thursday when Jamie Vardy and England play a critical match against Andy King and Wales at the Stade Felix Bollaert Delelis in Lens.
After both players helped lead their club side to an unprecedented first-ever Premier League and top-flight title this past season, each find themselves on opposite sides of the survival spectrum coming into this crucial Group B match that could cement Wales in the Round of 16 with a victory. England, on the other hand, need to put their 1-1 result with Russia behind them to ease the tension before facing Slovakia in their final group stage match on June 20.
A late goal in both sides' first matches helped paint the current picture in Group B. Hal Robson-Kanu's winner against Slovakia put Wales top of the group while Vasili Berezutski's equalizer makes England's match-up with rivals Wales that much more important as they fight to prevent slipping to the foot of the group alongside Russia with one match to go.
It hasn't been the best of starts for Leicester players at Euro 2016, but King and his Wales teammates have had early success in Group B and are channeling their inner Leicester to make a run to the elimination stages. It's hard to rule a side out when they have the world's most expensive player in Gareth Bale, but a last-minute win over Slovakia and the chance to condemn rivals England to the bottom of the group shows just what this Wales side can achieve in France. Besides, King called it early anyways.
Vardy's appearance for England late in the match up 1-0 against Russia could've helped secure the three points for the Three Lions, but ultimately the striker was left on the bench to watch manager Roy Hodgson put on Jack Wilshere and James Milner and to see England settle for a draw. Thursday's match-up with Wales has Vardy written all over it, so expect the goalscorer to start or at the bare minimum feature from the bench.