Substitute Jamie Vardy had a penalty saved as Leicester were held by Spartak Moscow in a draw that leaves their hopes of qualifying from Europa League Group C in the balance.

The hosts had been completely dominant but it was the visitors who took a surprise lead when former Chelsea winger Victor Moses headed in unmarked following a swift attack.

That sparked more urgency in the Foxes and they hit back through Daniel Amartey, who met Ayoze Perez’s flick-on with a firm header.

The experienced Moses then hauled down Ademola Lookman in the box but Vardy’s spot kick was uncharacteristically timid and goalkeeper Aleksandr Selikhov got down comfortably to parry it away.

Leicester are two points behind group leaders Napoli, who have seven points after thumping second-placed Legia Warsaw 4-1 earlier.

Foxes waste chance to take second spot

With Legia at home next before a trip to Napoli on the final day, Leicester face the two sides above them in the group so qualification remains in their hands.

They could and probably should have been in a far more commanding position however after enjoying 76.9% of possession, twice hitting the frame of the goal and missing a spot-kick at the King Power Stadium.

Spartak’s 51st-minute goal was their only effort on target as Moses arrived on the edge of the six-yard box to flick a header beyond Kasper Schmeichel from Mikhail Ignatov’s cross.

Leicester had dominated before that and the closest they came was a thunderous left-footed Boubakary Soumare strike from distance that rattled the crossbar.

Kelechi Iheanacho also waltzed his way into the Spartak box only for strike partner Patson Daka to pinch the ball off his toe when the Nigeria international was shaping to shoot.

It did not take Leicester long to level though, with the Russian side’s lead lasting just seven minutes as Amartey responded from a corner.

Daka, who scored four goals when these sides met in the reverse fixture two weeks ago as Leicester came from 2-0 down to win 4-3, was replaced by Vardy with 20 minutes to go.

And when Moses, twice a Europa League winner with Chelsea, pulled down Lookman four minutes later it felt like the scene was set for the 34-year-old to step up and claim the winner.

But Vardy’s low penalty was easily saved by Selikhov – and despite continuing to press for a winner, the Foxes could not find a way through.

Iheanacho swivelled and hit the post, but only after blocking team-mate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s goal-bound header in a sequence that summed up the Foxes night.

“Overall the players played well, created lots of chances and we missed the penalty,” boss Rodgers told BT Sport. “We never had the killer instinct in the box to take the opportunities.

“It is not easy when there are 11 players sat in, we worked the ball into good areas, but just could not find the final ball.

“Performance-wise, we played well in the game. Did not concede so much but the goal we conceded was really poor from our perspective. We did not track runs into the box and something we have seen before.”