Sevilla will take a narrow advantage into the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final away to Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday.
The holders trailed until the final 20 minutes of the first leg, but late goals from Carlos Bacca and Denis Suarez secured a 2-1 advantage.
Zenit
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A first-leg defeat is not what Andre Villas-Boas would have had in mind, especially after his team took the lead at the Estadio Ramon last week. The Russian outfit scored a vital away goal, however, which should stand them in good stead as they return home for the deciding match.
Zenit have actually lost 12 of their last 20 away games in Europe and only won two of their 15 encounters with Spanish sides. However, their form at home has been much stronger. The Russian side have won their last three European matches on home turf and not conceded a single goal in the process.
Taking that further, not since 2008 have Zenit lost a Europa League match on home turf, which is a run that stretches 14 games. Zenit also know what it takes to win this competition having tasted UEFA Cup success in 2008, while in Villas-Boas, they have a manager that lifted the trophy with Porto in 2011.
Villas-Boas's side started this season in the Champions League, but they finished third behind group winners Monaco and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen. That led to a last-32 Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven, and they overcame the Dutch outfit before beating Torino in the last round.
Zenit are also going well in their domestic league and currently sit top of the table on 56 points – eight clear of second-placed Krasnodor. That said, they will enter this match off the back of a goalless draw with Kuban Krasnodar at the weekend, making it three games without a win in all competitions.
They have not won the Russian title since 2012, but are the strong favourites to claim the trophy this time around. Success in European competition is the name of the game for Zenit, however, and they will want to eventually make their mark in the Champions League.
Recent form: WWWWLL
Recent form (all competitions): WWWDLD
Sevilla
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Sevilla, meanwhile, are looking for back-to-back Europa League titles having overcome Benfica in the final last season. In total, the Spanish club have tasted success in this competition on three occasions, and their first-leg victory last week has placed them in a strong position to book their spot in the final four.
What's more, Sevilla have lifted the trophy on each occasion that they have made it to this stage of the competition. They collected 11 points from their six Group G matches – finishing second behind Dutch outfit Feyenoord. That threw up a last-32 clash against Borussia Monchengladbach and Unai Emery's side qualified for the final 16 with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Next came Spanish rivals Villarreal, who were dispatched 5-2. Notoriously, Sevilla are stronger at home than on the road, but they have won each of their last two away games in this competition – scoring six times in the process.
In La Liga, Sevilla are also enjoying a successful season. A total of 63 points from their 32 games has left them in fifth position, just two points behind Valencia, who are fourth. Emery's side are also 12 games unbeaten in all competitions, but they did drop league points in a 1-1 draw at Granada on Sunday.
Emery has been able to effectively balance his squad in both the league and Europa League this season and his work at the Estadio Ramon has drawn a host of admiring glances. The Spaniard's contract situation at the club is far from secure, but there is no question that Sevilla are moving in the right direction.
Not since March 2014 have Sevilla been beaten in any competition on their own patch, but it has been a different story on the road. They have dropped points in eight of their 16 away games in the league this season, but as mentioned, their away form in the Europa League this term has been strong.
Recent form: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWDWD
Team News
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Zenit were without leading scorer Hulk for the first leg last week through suspension, but the Brazilian is available for the second leg. The same can also be said for Domenico Criscito, Igor Smolnikov and Danny, who should all start.
Villas-Boas will be without both Ezequiel Garay and first-leg goal-scorer Aleksandr Ryazantsev, however, who picked up bookings in Seville.
Salomon Rondon should keep his spot in the team, while Javi Garcia and Axel Witsel are also expected to feature. Zenit's all-time leading scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov could also start against the team that he represented in the 2007-08 season.
Sevilla, meanwhile, are free from suspension, but Daniel Carrico is expected to miss out with a thigh problem. That could mean a start for Frenchman Timothee Kolodziejczak alongside Nicolas Pareja at the heart of the defence.
Kevin Gameiro should also keep his spot in attack ahead of leading scorer Bacca, but Jose Antonio Reyes is only expected to be on the bench after playing 90 minutes against Getafe at the weekend.
Vicente Iborra will also return from a domestic suspension to start, while Aleix Vidal is also expected to be drafted into the starting XI.
Zenit possible starting lineup:
Lodygin; Rodic, Neto, Lombaerts, Smolnikov; Witsel, Garcia, Tymoshchuk; Rondon, Hulk, Danny
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Rico; Coke, Pareja, Kolo, Tremoulinas; Iborra, Banega, Krychowiak; Vitolo, Gameiro, Vidal
Head To Head
Sevilla's 2-1 win in the first leg last week was the fifth time that these two sides have met in European competition. Sevilla have won two of those matches, with Zenit winning once and the further two fixtures ending in draws.
Three of those matches occurred in the 2005-06 season, when Sevilla lost away to Zenit in the group stages, before beating the Russian side 5-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The last time that the pair met in Russia was April 2006, when it finished 1-1.
We say: Sevilla 1-1 Zenit (Sevilla 3-2 on aggregate)
These are two of the more fancied sides left in the competition and had Zenit held on to their win last week, or secured a draw, they would have been big favourites to progress into the final four on their own patch.
Sevilla have a special bond with this competition, however, and should have just enough to claim a nervy draw and progress into the semi-finals once again.
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