Leicester host Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday with a point good enough to see them reach the last 16. They could also top Group G with a game to spare if they better Porto's result against FC Copenhagen and here Press Association Sport looks at the talking points ahead of the Foxes' latest European match.
HOW CAN THEY QUALIFY?
The Foxes need just a draw from their final two games against Brugge and in Porto next month to progress and forget about their Premier League woes. If Porto drop points against Copenhagen in the other game Leicester can seal top spot with victory, while wins for both would see them both progress and battle it out for top spot in Portugal next month. Brugge have lost all four games - starting with a 3-0 defeat in Belgium to the Foxes in September - and have conceded 10.
WILL LEICESTER'S DEFENCE BE BEATEN?
The Leicester backline is yet to be breached in the competition this season following their 0-0 draw in Copenhagen earlier this month. No team has gone through the group stages without conceding but the Foxes and Sevilla have both kept four clean sheets so far to put Champions League history within sight. Kasper Schmeichel pulled off crucial late saves in the two games against Copenhagen but is out with a fractured hand he suffered in Denmark. Ron-Robert Zieler will deputise but it is hard to see Brugge being the team to end the Foxes' spotless defence given they have scored just once in Europe this season.
WILL JAMIE VARDY END HIS FOXES DROUGHT?
The striker has not had a shot on target for his club since he scored against Liverpool in September, despite scoring for England in their 2-2 draw against Spain last week. He has three Foxes goals this season but is goalless in his last 13 games for the club in all competitions and there was little sign that run would end in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Watford. A year ago, on November 21, 2015, Vardy's goal at Newcastle equalled the Premier League record as he scored in a 10th consecutive game. A week later he broke that record by scoring in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United and what the 29-year-old would not give for coming close to that run again. The supply line from Riyad Mahrez has also dried up with the Algerian finding Vardy with just one pass in the last seven games.
WHY HAS RIYAD MAHREZ BEEN SO EFFECTIVE IN EUROPE?
The Algeria international had three goals and one assist in the Champions League but has struggled to find top gear in the Premier League. The reigning PFA Player of the Year has netted just once in open play in his last 20 games - the winner in October's 1-0 victory over Copenhagen - as he becomes a marked man. Speaking ahead of the game on Monday Mahrez, who signed a new four-year deal in the summer, admitted it had always been his dream to play in the Champions League and it is clear he can play with more freedom. He is still a relative unknown in Europe, despite earning a Ballon d'Or nomination, and boss Claudio Ranieri said after Mahrez scored twice against Brugge in September the Champions League music had woken the winger up. He will be hoping that he rises from his slumber in the league.
HAVE LEICESTER BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
The Foxes have failed to win any of their domestic games leading into Champions League matches - four defeats and one draw - and have put a lot of eggs in their European basket this season. Ranieri denied Leicester had taken their eye off the domestic ball when they are preparing for Champions League games but it is hard to agree after the results. Big 4-1 defeats at Liverpool and Manchester United were followed by a 3-0 loss at Chelsea, a 1-1 draw at Tottenham and Saturday's 2-1 reverse at Watford which has left the Foxes two points above the relegation zone. Ranieri is right to prioritise the Champions League - like last season's title win it is unlikely to come around again - but it has been to the detriment of their Premier League campaign.
Source: PA
