UEFA Champions League
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Played
November 21, 2012 5:00 PM GMT
Stadion Petrovskij — Sankt-Peterburg (St. Petersburg)
Referee:‬ Olegário Manuel Benquerenca‎
Attendance:‬ 18347‎
 

Zenit St Petersburg - Malaga Preview: Russian champions face must-win clash against Group C leaders

Luciano Spalletti's side will be eliminated from the Champions League if they fail to beat the Primera Division outfit and AC Milan overcome Anderlecht in the other group match

By Karthick Arvinth

More On :  Malaga, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Malaga
Hulk - Zenit St Petersburg
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ZENIT ST PETERSBURG

Malafeev
Anyukov, Hubocan, Alves, Yanbaev
Witsel, Denisov, Shirokov
Bystrov, Kerzhakov, Hulk
MALAGA

Caballero
Gamez, Demichelis, Weligton, Eliseu
Toulalan, Camacho
Portillo, Isco, Duda
Santa Cruz

Zenit St Petersburg have been boosted by the return of Hulk from a thigh injury ahead of Wednesday's crucial encounter with Malaga at the Petrovsky Stadium.

Winger Viktor Fayzulin is also available after shaking off a minor knee problem, but left-back Domenico Criscito is sidelined.

Malaga are without Carlos Kameni (illness), Nacho Monreal (back), Sergio Sanchez (hamstring) and Julio Baptista (achilles), while Manuel Iturra is suspended.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini has opted to rest Joaquin and Javier Saviola for the trip to Russia, so Roque Santa Cruz could be set for a rare start in attack.

  DID YOU KNOW?
  • Zenit St Petersburg have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions.
  • The Russian outfit's overall home record against Spanish visitors is W2, D3, L1, with the solitary defeat coming against Real Madrid in the 2008-09 Champions League group stage.
  • Zenit's 3-0 loss at Malaga in the reverse fixture equalled their heaviest away defeat in the Champions League.
  • Malaga have won just one of their last six matches across all competitions (W1, D3, L2).
  • Los Boquerones have suffered just one defeat in 11 away games in European competition.
  • Eliseu is Malaga's top scorer in the Champions League this season with four goals.
  • The Liga outfit have averaged two goals per game in this season's competition, finding the back of the net eight times in their four matches so far.

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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
  • Zenit Saint Petersburg 1-2 Malaga
    16.53 %
  • Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-1 Malaga
    14.01 %
  • Zenit Saint Petersburg 1-0 Malaga
    9.52 %
Head to Head
UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ Nov 21, 2012 Zenit Saint Petersburg 2 - Malaga 2
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UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ Sep 18, 2012 Malaga 3 - Zenit Saint Petersburg 0
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Last Five Matches
Zenit Saint Petersburg
May 19, 2013Zenit Saint Petersburg 3 - Volga Nizhny Novgorod 1RUS1
May 12, 2013Rostov 1 - Zenit Saint Petersburg 1RUS1
May 4, 2013Zenit Saint Petersburg 4 - Alania Vladikavkaz 0RUS1
Apr 28, 2013Kuban 2 - Zenit Saint Petersburg 2RUS1
Apr 21, 2013Zenit Saint Petersburg 1 - Krasnodar 0RUS1
Malaga
May 12, 2013Malaga 0 - Sevilla 0LIGA
May 8, 2013Real Madrid CF 6 - Malaga 2LIGA
May 4, 2013Granada 1 - Malaga 0LIGA
Apr 28, 2013Malaga 2 - Getafe 1LIGA
Apr 20, 2013Valencia CF 5 - Malaga 1LIGA
Odds
Returns: Zenit £65.00 WilliamHill Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Returns: Draw £36.00 PaddyPower Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Returns: Malaga £120.00 WilliamHill Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Team News
Available Squads
16Vyacheslav MalafeevGoalkeeper
2Alexander AnyukovDefender
3Bruno AlvesDefender
6Nicolas LombaertsDefender
14Tomás HubocanDefender
10DannyMidfielder
15Roman ShirokovDefender
27Igor DenisovMidfielder
28Axel WitselMidfielder
11Aleksandr KerzhakovStriker
29HulkStriker
71Egor BaburinGoalkeeper
-Ilya ZuevMidfielder
18Konstantin ZyryanovMidfielder
20Viktor FaizulinMidfielder
25Sergey SemakMidfielder
34Vladimir BystrovMidfielder
99Maxim KanunnikovStriker
13Willy CaballeroGoalkeeper
2Jesús GámezDefender
5Martín DemichelisDefender
5Oguchi OnyewuDefender
6CamachoMidfielder
8Jérémy ToulalanMidfielder
17DudaMidfielder
18EliseuMidfielder
-Diego BuonanotteMidfielder
11Sebastián Fernández MiglierinaStriker
9Roque Santa CruzStriker
35PolGoalkeeper
3WeligtonDefender
22IscoMidfielder
27PortilloMidfielder
45RecioMidfielder
26JuanmiStriker
-Fabrice OlingaStriker
Players to Watch
Hulk
Hulk
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 29
Games Goals YC RC
5 1 2 0
The €40 million striker has had a difficult start to life in Russia, having scored just three times in 11 appearances in all competitions for Zenit. The 26-year-old will be desperate to recapture the form that made him one of the most coveted strikers in the world and fire his team to victory over Malaga.
Isco
Isco
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 22
Games Goals YC RC
10 3 1 0
Voted as La Liga's breakthrough player of the year, the young starlet is rapidly establishing himself as the creative hub of the Malaga team with a succession of impressive displays. Isco's form will be key to his side's chances of advancing to the latter stages of the Champions League.
Prediction
Despite recording disappointing results in La Liga of late, Malaga have looked solid away from home in Europe and will be confident of securing the point they need to finish as group winners. Zenit were dire in the 1-0 defeat at Anderlecht and could struggle to break down the visitors' defence.
Editor's Prediction
Zenit 1
Malaga 1
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker
Real Madrid 		12 0
Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski
Striker
Dortmund 		10 1
Thomas Müller Thomas Müller
Striker
Bayern 		8 1
Lionel Messi Lionel Messi
Striker
Barcelona 		8 0
Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz
Striker
Galatasaray 		8 0