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Zenit Petersburg vs Villarreal Prediction & Betting tips
Spanish Villarreal got on the plane this week to Russian St. Petersburg, to take on Thursday night against local pride Zenit St. Petersburg. Bet is a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, although the visitors currently have other priorities.
Zenit Saint Petersburg:
Zenit St. Petersburg managed to seize the Europa League under the then head coach Dick Advocaat in the season 2007-2008, and this season the Russian top club is again a dangerous outsider for tournament win. In the diptych against Villarreal, the blue whites are in any case the big favorite for reaching the quarterfinals of the second-most prestigious club tournament in Europe.
Yet it is difficult to estimate where Zenit St. Petersburg currently stands. Trainer Sergei Semak saw star player Leandro Paredes leave for Paris Saint-Germain for a lot of money this summer. With the attracting of, among others, Sardar Azmoun, the Russians also did not show up, although it is not easy to join the Argentinian. Azmoun has in any case started very well with his new employer. After he shot Zenit St. Petersburg last month with two goals against Fenerbahce to the eighth finals, last weekend he was also responsible for the only goal in the away match against Ural, the first league match of 2019. The Iranian Messi has Zenit St. Petersburg so a much needed impetus, because at the end of 2018 the Russians often played very faintly and the results were disappointing. That now seems to be a thing of the past, though a swallow does not make a summer yet.
Villarreal:
It is crisis at Villarreal. The yellow shirts have grown into a stable sub topper in recent years, but this season the Spaniards do not bother at all in La Liga. Last weekend, Javi Calleja’s team kicked Alaves’s bread by eating Alaves on their own field, making it still in acute degradation. In the remaining twelve rounds, Villarreal will have to make every effort to save the game.
It should be clear that the priority lies with the away match of next weekend against Levante, although Calleja has with almost his complete selection on the plane to St. Petersburg stepped. It is obvious, however, that the coach will rotate fully on Thursday evening, because the key players have to stay fit for Levante-out. In the previous round, the second set did get the Sporting CP of Marcel Keizer and Bas Dost on the knees, but in this way you will never win the Europa League.
Zenit Petersburg vs Villarreal head to head matches
21.02.08 EL Villarreal Zenit Petersburg 2 : 1
13.02.08 EL Zenit Petersburg Villarreal 1 : 0