The fairytale might have ended, but might we now be seeing the beginnings of a story even more fantastic?

Leicester City are still be a long way from a Champions League final in Cardiff, and likely have much greater opponents in the way than a disappointingly tepid Sevilla, but they have already gone a lot further than anyone expected in reaching the quarter-final. The way that they did, especially given the one-sided nature of the first leg, also suggested that especially unique type of cup momentum.

There was definitely something special about this hurricane-paced 2-0 win over Sevilla, fired by goals from Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton, if also something fortuitous. Leicester got the breaks in the way Jamie Vardy cynically used Samir Nasri’s foolish dip of the head to get the playmaker sent off, and how Steven N’Zonzi took such a poor penalty on 80 minutes - the second spot-kick Sevilla had missed over 180 minutes. It was just another crucial save, however, that Kasper Schmeichel had made.

Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Kasper Schmeichel 9 out of 10 Made a superb early save from Nasri which set the tone for Leicester’s historic performance. Became the hero of the hour when he saved N'Zonzi's late penalty. Undoubtedly the man of the tie given his equally impressive performance in the first-leg. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Danny Simpson 7/10 His distribution left a lot to be desired – just under half of his 18 passes ended up being intercepted – but he made two crucial interceptions and linked up nicely with Mahrez. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Wes Morgan 7/10 Leicester’s captain became the first ever Jamaican to score in the Champions League when he bundled in the opener. Made several crucial clearances and appears utterly transformed from the player that was struggling so desperately under Claudio Ranieri. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Robert Huth 7/10 Put in a tremendous shift alongside Morgan. Although the thought of the pair of them trying to keep the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala is nothing short of terrifying. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Christian Fuchs 8/10 Fantastic. A real danger going forward, combining nicely with Albrighton, and he had two good chances to get on the score-sheet. Equally impressive at the back where he relentlessly pressed Vitolo, preventing the Spaniard from flourishing. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Wilfried N'Didi 7/10 Another valiant performance from N’Didi in the middle of the park. Got the better of Steven N’Zonzi and almost got the better of Vicente Iborra, too. Stayed in defensive positions and allowed Drinkwater to get forward. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Riyad Mahrez 7/10 Repeatedly cut inside from the right-wing where his passes in-between the Sevilla defence impressed. Assisted Morgan’s goal, and should have assisted a counter-attacking goal for Islam Slimani, but took too long to pick his pass. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Danny Drinkwater 6/10 Missed a fine chance to score in the first-half but ultimately a good performance. His passing could have been better, though. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Marc Albrighton 8/10 A superb performance from the left-winger. Overlapped with Fuchs nicely down the left, so much so that Sampaoli was forced into an early double substitution. Scored a lovely second goal, bringing the ball under control and rifling a low shot past Sergio Rico. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Shinji Okazaki 7/10 Did what he usually does. Ran hard, pressed high and never allowed Sevilla’s defence the opportunity to build their attacks from the back. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Jamie Vardy 7/10 Back to his industrious, tenacious, relentless best. Didn’t get on the scoresheet but kept creating opportunities for himself. Did well not to react to Samir Nasri’s provocations in the second-half, too. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Sergio Rico 6/10 There was little he could have done to keep out Wes Morgan’s header from close range. And Rami should be blamed for Leicester's second, not Rico. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Nicolás Pareja 5/10 Not a particularly good night for the Argentinian. Made several important clearances but his distribution left an awful lot to be desired. Too often passed the ball straight to a Leicester player. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Gabriel Mercado 5/10 Sevilla struggled down the right, with Albrighton and Fuchs both causing a number of problems, and Sampaoli responded at half-time by hauling off his largely ineffective right-back. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Adil Rami 6/10 Had been one of Sevilla’s better players up until the second goal, which he was at fault for. His headed clearance didn’t have enough on it and was directed straight at the feet of Albrighton, who promptly lashed a low shot past Rico. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Sergio Escudero 6/10 Didn’t look as threatening as he in the first-leg in Andalusia. Was incredibly unlucky not to level the score in the second-half, though, with an unconventional, dipping strike which rattled the underside of the crossbar. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Steven N’Zonzi 4/10 Typically good in the air, playing in the heart of Sevilla’s midfield alongside Iborra. But his passing left a lot to be desired and he looked uncomfortable in possession whenever pressed. Missed a late penalty, his low effort struck nervously and far from the corner. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Vicente Iborra 6/10 Calmer and more composed in possession than N’Zonzi. Won a number of crunching tackles and stopped a mazy run from Albrighton early in the second-half with a well-timed challenge. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Pablo Sarabia 5/10 Posed little threat to Fuchs down the right. Struggled alongside Mercado playing behind him, and was also withdrawn by Sampaoli in a bold double substitution at the break. Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Samir Nasri 5/10 The good: His repeated running in behind Leicester’s defence and his range of passing. The bad: Stupidly picking up a second yellow late in the second-half for an altercation with Jamie Vardy before attempting to get the English forward sent off. The ugly: An incandescent Martin O'Neill slamming the Nasri on BT Sport for being overweight. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Vitolo 5/10 It tells you everything about the winger’s all-action performance that he made the highest number of tackles of any Sevilla player (5). Will have been disappointed not to offer more going forward, however. AFP/Getty Images Leicester vs Sevilla player ratings Wissam Ben Yedder 5/10 Looked dangerous in flashes but was ultimately on the ball too few times to truly threaten. On the occasions he did shoot, he failed to test Schmeichel. Missed a sitter of a rebound in the second-half. AFP/Getty Images

It means Leicester make club history by reaching the European Cup last eight, and can still have grander dreams, after this electric night.

In terms of setting up an exciting European second leg, the visiting side leading 2-1 is probably the perfect scoreline. The home side enters the game knowing they must score but that one goal will give them the advantage, creating a proper sense of anticipation, while the away team doesn’t have enough of a safety net to really set up defensively. The fact everything can change in an instant creates an immediate tension and a rare heightened atmosphere.

Morgan gave Leicester the lead (Getty)

Undoubtedly buoyed by all of this as well the drastic shift in performance over the past three weeks since the second leg, Leicester started the game much higher up the pitch than might have been expected, while Sevilla seemed a little sapped of some of the energy they showed in the first leg. They had the first true threat of the game when Pablo Sarabia shot just wide, but there wasn’t quite the same fizz about them at that point. They just weren't playing with the same speed or intensity. By contrast, Leicester were doing everything rather tidily, and strongly.

If it has become cliche by now to talk about the English champions getting back to the performance levels of last season, a goal from a set-piece should also have been a cliche and something you deal - but that was precisely what Sevilla were susceptible to.

On 26 minutes, Vardy’s sharp ‘busy-ness’ brought a foul from Vicente Iborra, Riyad Mahrez stepped up to curl in a fine free-kick and captain Morgan arrived at the back post. It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing finish, given it rolled down his shin and in, but that didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Leicester were ahead, and Sevilla now had to attack a team never more comfortable than getting to play on the counter at home.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the game was not Leicester’s transformation in this tie, given their transformation in the Premier League has been so discussed, but Sevilla’s. They suddenly couldn’t live with the pace of Shakespeare’s side. They were leaden, with none of the lively interchanges and full-backs arriving in the area out of nowhere of the first leg. Similarly, although Jorge Sampaoli has a justifiable reputation as one of the most meticulously prepared coaches in the game, his team seemed to so oddly and obviously be playing into Leicester’s hands. They were hands evidently ready to grasp any opportunity, too.

Nasri saw red after clashing with Vardy (Getty)

The difference between the sides was displayed again just minutes into the second half. Although the excellent Sergio Escudero smashed the crossbar with a brilliant strike from distance on 52 minutes, Nicolas Pareja rushed the rebound and sent it well when over when the goal was gaping.

Leicester went straight up the other end to ultimately put Albrighton into a similar but more difficult shooting position to Pareja, but there was nothing rushed about what he did. He calmed himself, teed the ball up with delicacy and then whacked it low and true past Sergio Rico with a driven belief.

A decisive minute? Leicester now didn’t just have the advantage. They had security.

A single Sevilla goal would now only put the game into extra-time.

N'Zonzi missed Sevilla's second penalty across the tie (Getty)

It was very soon Leicester who had an extra man, however. With Sevilla getting increasingly frustrated with their inability to get going and play their game, Nasri got right up to Vardy’s face on 74 minutes. Although the French playmaker dropped his head a touch too vigorously, Vardy fully used the opportunity, going down in a way not really consistent with the contact.

It meant Nasri was going off, having received his second booking of the game.

It was soon after, though, that Sevilla got their best chance of the game. On 79 minutes, Vitolo was beautifully put through on goal, only to abruptly go to ground as Christian Fuchs went in one side and Kasper Schmeichel the other. It was the goalkeeper punished, but that only gave him the opportunity to again be the hero.

N’Zonzi stepped up… and feebly hit it down low, for Schmeichel to get across.

Albrighton set up the win (Getty)

There was still one more chance - but for Vardy. He blazed over, and was literally smacking himself in anger.

He wasn’t to regret it. Leicester, it seems, won’t regret sacking the hero of their last fairytale in Claudio Ranieri. The interim boss Craig Shakespeare has already done something remarkable.

He was duly celebrated on a massive tifo quoting Julius Caesar before the game. You could say this might be a story conjured by Shakespeare, of course, but that would be far too predictable.