Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg lost 1-0 at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday but eased into the UEFA Cup semi-finals for the first time thanks to their 4-1 lead from the first leg. Zenit, coached by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, had an anxious time defending their advantage as Leverkusen attacked their goalmouth with vigour from the opening whistle.
Photos from the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match played between Benfica and Zenit St Petersburg at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon on Tuesday
Real Madrid scored twice in the first half to overcome a spirited Zenit St Petersburg 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. An own goal by Zenit defender Tomas Hubocan and an opportunistic strike by Ruud van Nistlerooy gave the nine-times European champions their second consecutive victory in Group H.
Ten-man Zenit St Petersburg beat Dynamo Moscow 2-1 on Saturday to claim a second consecutive Russian Premier League title with three games to spare.
The nine-times European champions finished second on goal difference in Group H of the Champions League behind Juventus, who were held 0-0 at home by BATE Borisov.
Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg won their first European silverware when they secured a 2-0 victory over Rangers in the UEFA Cup final.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas will take over Russian side Zenit St Petersburg this week after agreeing on a two-season contract, the club said on Tuesday.
Twice European champions Benfica reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2006 when goals by Uruguay's Maxi Pereira and Portugal's Nelson Oliveira secured a convincing 2-0 win over Russia's Zenit St Petersburg.
Alessandro Del Piero scored with a longe-range swerving free kick to give Juventus a 1-0 home win over Zenit St Petersburg on their return to the Champions League group stages on Wednesday. The 33-year-old captain, who played in the final when the Turin club won the second of their two European Cups in 1996, netted on 76 minutes in their Group H opener with Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev looking at fault.
Zenit St Petersburg became the first Russian team to win the European Super Cup when they earned a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Friday.
Paris Saint-Germain took a crucial advantage after beating Chelsea 2-1 in an entertaining UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday.
UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg were knocked out at the last-16 stage by Udinese on Thursday while Hamburg SV stunned Galatasaray to deny the Istanbul side the chance of a May final in their home city.
Rangers beat Fiorentina 4-2 on penalties while Zenit St Petersburg thrashed Bayern Munich 4-0 in second leg semi-final matches.
Zenit St. Petersburg, led by Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas, won the Russian Premier League title.
Zenit St Petersburg condemned violence by their fans during the 4-1 defeat by Austria Vienna in the Champions League on Wednesday, saying the trouble-makers led to the Russian team's poor performance.
Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 home draw by Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final on Thursday. The Bundesliga leaders led through Franck Ribery's 18th-minute goal but, Brazil defender Lucio deflected a cross from Viktor Fayzulin past Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn for the shock equaliser on the hour.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Borussia Dortmund fans will be offered tea and pies at Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday but there will be no such generosity on the pitch with the Russians intent on reaching their first Champions League quarter-final.
Barcelona were drawn in Group E with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv.
The Champions League final was set to be staged at Zenit St Petersburg's stadium on May 28.
Manchester United's dwindling hopes of lifting a trophy this season are dangling by a thread after they produced an abject display to lose 2-0 at Olympiakos Piraeus in a Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Goals from Hulk and Axel Witsel helped Zenit St Petersburg get their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start as they beat 10-man Benfica 2-0 away on Tuesday.
In the other pairings, English champions Manchester United will take on Greek club Olympiakos, while AC Milan take on Atletico Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-1 Champions League win at Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday but big spending trio Zenit St Petersburg, Paris St Germain and Manchester City failed to win.
Chelsea will face Dynamo Kiev at home in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, while London rivals Arsenal will travel to Rennes following Friday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Tottenham Hotspur trounced a sorry Inter Milan 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday while last year's European champions Chelsea were humbled 1-0 by Steaua Bucharest after being stung by a Raul Rusescu penalty.
Russian clubs ruled the Europa League roost on Thursday as Rubin Kazan upset holders Atletico Madrid while Anzhi Makhachkala and Zenit St Petersburg opened up commanding first-leg advantages in their last 32 ties.
Andrei Arshavin's move to Arsenal from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg is awaiting confirmation by the Premier League, the player's agent said on Monday.
Zenit St Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat was appointed Belgium manager on Wednesday and will take up the post at the start of next year, the Belgian Football Association said.
Andrei Arshavin, a target of English Premier League side Arsenal, is in London on Monday with Sky Sports News showing pictures of the Russian forward at a snow-bound hotel north of the city.
Zenit St Petersburg and Middlesbrough dented the UEFA Cup hopes of Olympique Marseille and tournament favourites AS Roma.
Images from Europa League matches played across Europe on Thursday.
The 41-year old Dutchman has worked with some of the best tacticians in the business like Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Frank Rijkaard, tasting success at both international and club level.
Celtic winger James Forrest scored a dramatic stoppage time winner to secure his club a Champions League group stage place on Wednesday alongside AC Milan, Real Sociedad, Zenit St Petersburg and Czech champions Viktoria Plzen.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Tuesday.
Real Madrid fashioned a stunning comeback to beat Manchester City 3-2 in a classic Champions League match with a last-gasp Cristiano Ronaldo strike in their Group D opener on Tuesday.
Photos of the World Cup match being played between Russia and Korea Republic
Manchester United will be clutching at the final straw of a sobering season when they attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Greek side Olympiakos and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.
A Roman Abramovich-sponsored soccer tournament involving leading Russian and Ukrainian clubs has been cancelled, organisers said on Monday. The Channel One Cup, which had been held in Israel in January for the past three years, was called off by Russian billionaire Abramovich's National Academy Fund (NAF) after Zenit St Petersburg became the latest top Russian team to pull out.
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