Copenhagen continued their unlikely tilt for the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating Villarreal 3-2 at El Madrigal on Wednesday.

Villarreal are still winless, just as Copenhagen had been through their first four matches of the league phase before following up a win against Kairat Almaty last time out with this victory.

Copenhagen led after just 71 seconds as Mohamed Elyounoussi volleyed in a left-wing cross, and they protected that advantage until half-time.

The second period was rather more eventful, however, and Santi Comesana bundled in an equaliser 63 seconds after the restart, only for the visitors to go straight down the other end and reclaim the lead when Elias Achouri's low finish squeezed under Luiz Junior.

Achouri had been introduced as a half-time substitute, but Villarreal made a triple change of their own at the break, and their reward was a second equaliser as Tani Oluwaseyi – one of those brought on – prodded in from just inside the area.

Although the LaLiga side kept pushing in pursuit of a breakthrough win, the decisive goal came against the run of play in the final minute of stoppage time and just about summed up the luckless hosts' campaign.

A speculative shot from distance was blocked but deflected into the path of Andreas Cornelius, another substitute, who swept in the winner.

Data debrief: Danish delight at last

Defeat for Villarreal may have very much followed the form book, but Copenhagen's track record was not much better coming into this clash.

The visitors were winless in their 15 previous meetings with Spanish opposition, while they had not won away from home in the Champions League in nine matches.

But this smash and grab – albeit with an xG of 1.5, only marginally lower than Villarreal's 1.94 – gave Copenhagen a second straight win, their first consecutive victories in the Champions League since 2010, and keeps them firmly in the hunt for a top-24 finish.

With matches against Napoli and Barcelona still to come, this victory was vital.