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Two-goal Mahrez gives Leicester flying start at Bruges

Soccer Football - Club Brugge v Leicester City - UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Group G - Jan Breydel Stadium, Brugge, Belgium - 14/9/16 General view of the scoreboard after the game Reuters / Eric Vidal

By Neil Robinson

(Reuters) - Leicester City enjoyed the easiest possible introduction to Champions League football as two Riyad Mahrez goals helped them to brush off the limited Group G challenge of Club Bruges 3-0 at the Jan Breydel stadium on Wednesday.

The win was Leicester's first in any European competition for 55 years and last season's surprise Premier League champions could not have wished for a better start, taking the lead when Marc Albrighton seized on a misplaced header from a long throw to score in the fifth minute.

Bruges were lucky to escape a red card when veteran defender Timmy Simons hauled down Jamie Vardy on the edge of the area. Mahrez rifled a left-foot shot from the resulting free kick into the top corner on 29 minutes.

Mahrez completed the rout from the penalty spot on 61 minutes after Vardy gave the defence the slip and was upended by keeper Ludovic Butelle.

($1 = 0.7556 pounds)

(Reporting by Neil Robinson; Editing by Clare Fallon)

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