Valencia CF will look to follow FC Zenit into the UEFA Champions League round of 16 when the Group H rivals meet on matchday five.
• Zenit earned qualification with a 2-0 victory at Olympique Lyonnais last time out and can now secure first place with a draw against Valencia. The visitors, for their part, will be seeking a win that would secure their own progress provided KAA Gent fail to beat Lyon.
Match background
Zenit
• Zenit are the only team with a 100% winning record in this season’s group stage having made their best-ever start to a UEFA Champions League campaign with four victories.
• They ended a nine-game winless streak against Liga teams when they won 3-2 at Valencia on matchday one.
• Zenit have drawn six of their nine previous home matches against Spanish clubs – including the last three (W2 D6 L1).
• José Rondón and Hulk scored when they drew 2-2 with Sevilla FC in the quarter-finals of last season’s UEFA Europa League (aggregate 3-4).
• Their last home success against Spanish opposition was against Villarreal CF (1-0) in the round of 32 of their triumphant 2007/08 UEFA Cup campaign. Aleksandr Anyukov, Viktor Fayzulin and Vyacheslav Malafeev played in that match.
• Real Madrid CF are the only Spanish club to have won at Zenit, prevailing 2-1 in the 2008/09 group stage. Danny scored the Zenit goal.
