Europa League Last 32 (1st Legs)

Zenit St Petersburg haven’t played an official game since the backend of last year but they can kickstart 2013 in the best possible fashion by beating Liverpool in the home leg of their last 32 tie in the Europa League.

The Merseysiders had looked to be finding some of their best form with impressive attacking displays against Arsenal and most notably Manchester City in successive Premiership games, but staggeringly poor defending cost them achievable wins in both games and their hopes of a top 4 finish are all but over following Monday’s defeat to West Brom. In all those games the problems which have blighted the Merseysiders so often have been a lack of finishing and this season more than ever, of poor defending.

Liverpool let in just 40 league goals last season, a tally that belied their poor finish position of seventh, but have struggled badly in that regard this season, especially on the road where they’ve let in 22 goals so far this season in the league, while they’re still yet to beat a team ranked above them in the Premiership; A worry with Zenit being one of Russia’s leading lights.

There’s a big worry that Zenit haven’t actually played a game competitively since the backend of 2013, but a record that sees them unbeaten in 19 games in European competition at home demands respect and the presence of Russian Alexander Kerzakhov to partner Hulk (seen left), along with the several months for both him and Axel Witsel to integrate themselves within the team, makes them worthy favourites here, and with Spaletti sure to have targeted this game, they can be backed to small stakes.

Advice

1 pt Zenit (6/4 general)