Leicester City are on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages after a 1-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday continued to defy their domestic woes and kept up a perfect record in Group G.

For the third time this term Leicester went into a Champions League game on the back of a heavy Premier League defeat but they shrugged off the disappointment to secure a third straight win in the competition thanks to Riyad Mahrez’s 40th-minute goal.

It was no vintage show from Claudio Ranieri’s men, who lost 3-0 at Chelsea on Saturday, although they were unfortunate not to triumph by a bigger margin after Islam Slimani had a goal harshly ruled out for offside in the second half.

They ended the contest, however, grateful to keeper Kasper Schmeichel for a superb one-handed save in the final minute as Leicester inflicted a first defeat on Copenhagen in 24 matches in all competitions.

The win moved Leicester onto nine points, one more than they have from eight games in the Premier League. With three matches remaining, they are five clear of second-placed Copenhagen and Porto, who beat Club Bruges 2-1 in Belgium.

For much of the encounter, especially the first half, Leicester looked exactly like a side struggling for points domestically.