Zenit picking up their pace in the last games saw Villas Boas back giving his instructions from the bench after his six-match ban but had to manage without injured Hulk against Mordovya in St. Petersburg.
The Blue-White-Sky blues were moving the ball around better than the away team and had a couple of good chances with Witsel, Shatov and Dzyuba but no one could open the score, for a goalless draw in the first half.
Ryazantsev and Smolnikov (back from injury) were introduced trying to break Mordovya’s defence without success and a dull 0-0 remained till the end with Zenit leaving more points at Petrovsky stadium.
