FC Zenit will look to make it through the round of 16 for the first time since winning this competition in 2008, but can expect a tough home encounter against Torino FC.
Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.
• Zenit have won only one of their four home games against Italian clubs – 1-0 against Udinese Calcio – and even that was a disappointment; they had lost the first leg of that 2008/09 UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie 2-0.
• Torino lost 2-1 on aggregate to FC Dinamo Moskva in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup second round, their only previous tie against Russian opponents. The winning goal in their 2-1 home loss to Dinamo was scored by Igor Simutenkov – who is one of André-Villas Boas’s coaching assistants at Zenit. Simutenkov played in Italy with AC Reggiana (1994–98) and Bologna FC (1998–99).
Form guide
• Zenit have conceded in only one of their six European home games this term (W4 D1 L1) – a 2-1 defeat against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.
• Zenit’s home record in this competition is fearsome; they are unbeaten in their last 12 UEFA Europa League games in Russia (W11 D1).
• Torino have lost just once in 12 UEFA Europa League games this season (2-1 at HJK Helsinki in the group stage), and have scored eight in their last two away games – a 5-1 win at FC København and a 3-2 victory at Athletic Club.
• Zenit have not progressed beyond the last 16 of a UEFA competition since they won the UEFA Cup in 2008, beating Rangers FC 2-0 in the final. Then they beat Olympique de Marseille in the last 16.
• Torino’s round of 32 success against Athletic was their first success in a springtime UEFA competition tie since they overcame Real Madrid CF to reach the 1991/92 UEFA Cup final – where they lost to AFC Ajax on away goals.
