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Leicester City: FC Copenhagen win can setup Premier League resurgence

By Craig Pearson

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17 : Islam Slimani of Leicester City celebrates his first premier league goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Burnley at the King Power Stadium on September 17th , 2016 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17 : Islam Slimani of Leicester City celebrates his first premier league goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Burnley at the King Power Stadium on September 17th , 2016 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images) /
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Leicester City are eyeing the knockout rounds of the Champions League as they enter their Group G clash with FC Copenhagen. However, a win can also boost the Foxes Premier League campaign.

Leicester City are on the road for their fourth Group G Champions League game. The Foxes play FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in Denmark and can qualify for the next round with a win. Leicester have been very impressive so far in their first ever Champions League campaign.

The club’s Premier League form, however, has suffered compared to the outstanding story of last season. Even compared to the tapered expectations for this season, the campaign has still so far been disappointing.

In the Champions League, Leicester have played three games and won all three. That’s the same number of wins as in the Premier League, and that’s through ten games instead. Leicester’s domestic season is on the brink right now.

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It can go one of two ways. Another bad month, and they could be dragged into a relegation fight. But a good month in November, and finishing in a European place is still an attainable target for this season.

Performances need to improves, though, and qualifying for the Champions League will only give Claudio Ranieri and his team longer to focus on that. Beat Copenhagen, and top spot in Group G is locked up.

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Leicester need that. They need their full focus to be on the Premier League now, and especially with the Christmas fixtures coming next month. The knockout rounds of the Champions League don’t begin until February.

Which means Leicester would have over three months without worrying about midweek European games. That was one of the advantages the club had last season over their rivals. This season, Leicester City need all the help they can get.

Ranieri’s team are not scoring like they did last year and they definitely aren’t defending like they did last year. They need to get back to that and eliminating European distractions will help. The alternate scenario is not winning in Denmark, and qualification coming down to the final two games.

No rest time. No European midweeks off. Zero games to potentially experiment in. Ultimately, no return to form, probably. The Foxes are unbeaten in their last two Premier League outings, but overall need to start wining more games instead of drawing.

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Winning is proving hard in domestic competition, even if it isn’t in Europe. What ever the difference is, Leicester need to bring that to their Premier League games. In the next three months, what type of season Leicester City are going to have will be decided. That is for sure.

A win over Copenhagen will put the team’s full attention onto deciding that. Onto prioritizing that. A win over Copenhagen can revitalize the Foxes’ Premier League campaign.

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