Zenit Petersburg-FC Porto Statistical Preview

Team News

Zenit Petersburg

• Zenit currently top the Russian Premier League, despite dropping points in the 1-1 draw with Amkar at the weekend.
• The welcome of FC Porto will be a much tougher proposition, however, and the team will be without the suspended trio of Axel Witsel, Igor Smolnikov and Tomas Hubocan.
• Alexander Anyukov is expected to come in at right-back, while Oleg Shatov should deputise for Witsel in midfield.

FC Porto

• FC Porto head into the encounter on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Belenenses, but like Zenit, top their domestic league.
• The Portuguese side will be without the suspended Héctor Herrera after his dismissal in the 1-0 loss to the Russian outfit last time out.
• Steven Defour is expected to come in at his expense alongside Fernando in midfield.

Prediction

• Zenit will be aiming to continue their unbeaten home run at the expense of FC Porto, having won 7 and drawn 3 of their 10 league games this season. Luciano Spalletti’s side may be missing key players through suspension, but will look to the attacking trio of Hulk, Andrey Arshavin and Danny to find the net, with the triumvirate having netted 19 of their 35 league goals.
• Porto currently sit 1 point behind their Russian counterparts in Group G, but know they face an uphill struggle if they’re to secure a positive result. The Dragões fell to a 1-0 defeat at the Estádio do Dragão when the two teams met last time out and will be out to avenge the defeat.
• Regardless, with home advantage, Zenit have enough about them to pick up 3 points and open up a gap between themselves and Porto on Wednesday.

Zenit Petersburg 2 - 0 FC Porto