Claudio Ranieri blasts Leicester as Porto turn on the style
The much-changed Foxes had already qualified from Group G, while Porto reached the last 16 with victory, but barely put up a fight as they were outclassed.
Andre Silva, Jesus Corona, and Yacine Brahimi scored in the first half before Silva added a second-half penalty and Diogo Jota netted a fifth.
“We wanted to see something different tonight, but it was too easy for Porto,” said Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri. “We didn’t make them fight to score. We can lose, but I want us to show our character and our strength. We didn’t do that well enough tonight.
“I have a clearer idea about my players now. We need to focus on the Premier League and change our position.”
Badly exposed and clearly lacking cohesion and confidence, the Foxes were embarrassed on a regular basis as their season threatens to go from bad to worse. The last time Leicester lost by five or more away from home was against Portsmouth in the Championship in 2010 but, even putting their Champions League qualification into context, it was a humiliation.
With Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Robert Huth left home, Claudio Ranieiri’s shadow squad never got close to the 2004 champions as the Italian gambled on reviving their Premier League season by resting his big names.
Porto needed to win to qualify ahead of Copenhagen and set the tone by going ahead after just six minutes.
Again it was another set-piece problem from the Foxes as Hamer had failed to keep the ball from going behind after a corner and when the second was swung in Silva beat Jeff Schlupp to head in from six yards.
The Foxes barely made it out of their own half and Silva missed a fine chance to make it 2-0 before Corona finally doubled the hosts’ lead on 26 minutes. Leicester failed to heed the warning signs from Alex Telles and the left back swung in a fine delivery for the unmarked Corona to smash in a rising volley.
Brahimi added a third a minute before the break when he finished off a neat move with a cheeky backheel.
Ranieri attempted to stem the tide and replaced Schlupp and Ahmed Musa with Leonardo Ulloa and Marc Albrighton at half time.
Demarai Gray twice shot off target soon after the restart as the visitors showed signs of life but Leicester slipped 4-0 behind after 64 minutes.
Danny Drinkwater clumsily fouled Silva in the box and the forward picked himself up to send Hamer the wrong way from the spot. The night got worse for Drinkwater, suspended for one more Premier League game, when he limped off and was replaced by 18-year-old debutant Harvey Barnes with 14 minutes left.
And a minute later Porto added a fifth when Jota rammed through Hamer’s legs to complete the rout.
Ulloa almost added a late consolation but his snap shot clipped the top of the bar.
Casillas, Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Marcano, Alex Telles, Danilo Pereira (Ruben Neves 75), Corona (Herrera 76), Torres, Brahimi, Andre Silva (Rui Pedro 78), Diogo Jota.
Hamer, Hernandez, Morgan, Wasilewski, Chilwell, Gray, Mendy, Drinkwater (Barnes 76), Schlupp (Albrighton 46), Musa (Ulloa 46), Okazaki.
Felix Zwayer (Germany).
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