Benfica vs Zenit St Petersburg Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Joel Amorim Feb 15, 2016 @ 01:31 am

Next Tuesday, 16th of February 2016, a SL Benfica hurt in their pride will measure forces with FC Zenit at Estádio da Luz for the first-leg of the 1/8 finals of the UEFA Champions League.

After an impressive streak of 13 competitive matches without a single defeat, SL Benfica conceded their fourth defeat of the season when they hosted FC Porto last Friday night. It was an extremely frantic match with both teams trying to claw the three points, but it was SL Benfica who opened the score on minute 18’ thanks to quality finish by the Greek international Kostas Mitroglou. FC Porto, however, didn’t lower their arms and managed to change the course of the match by netting two goals, the first one by the Mexican international midfielder Hector Herrera and the second one, twenty minutes after the break, thanks to the Cameroonian versatile forward Vincent Aboubakar.

The home side still had plenty of chances to at least grant the equalizer, but they failed to overcome an extremely inspired Iker Casillas, who put up a vintage performance at FC Porto’s goal.

For the upcoming important and difficult match against FC Zenit next Tuesday, SL Benfica’s head coach, Rui Vitória, will not be able to rely on the services of the team’s captain Luisão, who is still recovering from a complicated injury in his arm. The Serbian defensive midfielder Ljubomir Fejsa and the Argentinean defender Lisandro López remain sidelined due to injury and they are in doubt out there.

As for FC Zenit, the Saint Petersburg team is preparing next Tuesday’s Champions League match for quite some time, since the Russian league is still in the Winter break period. André Villas-Boas’ men have been at Algarve, in the South of Portugal, preparing the match against SL Benfica and they have participated in several friendly matches over the last weeks. Last time out, FC Zenit overcame the Swedish side Örebro SK in the penalty shootout.

Next Tuesday, the Portuguese manager will already be able to count on the contribution of the team’s recent signing, the Russian internationals Yuri Zhirkov and Aleksandr Kokorin and with the former FC Terek Grozny’s Brazilian midfielder Mauricio.

Fayzulin and Smolnikov, who are both currently injured will, on the other hand, miss out there.

SL Benfica

Stats: W-4 L-1 D-0

Recent Form - LWWWW

FC Zenit

Stats: W-5 L-0 D-0

Recent Form - WWWWW

Possible Line-ups

SL Benfica (4-4-2) – Júlio César - André Almeida - Jardel - Lisandro - Eliseu - Sanches - Pizzi - Gaitan - Salvio - Mitroglou - Jonas

FC Zenit (4-2-3-1) - Lodygin - Anyukov - Garay - Lombaerts - Zhirkov - Witsel - Garcia - Shatov - Kokorin - Hulk - Dzyuba

Injury List / Suspended Players

SL Benfica - Luisão (inj) - Lisandro (in doubt) - Fejsa (in doubt)

FC Zenit - Smolnikov (inj) - Fayzulin (inj)

Head-to-head matches:

League Positions