After a tough start to the 2012-13 season Zenit St. Petersburg looks regrouped and ready to make a run at a knockout berth in the UCL.
The Russian side was plagued with locker room issues early on, but that seems to be a thing of the past as they have won four straight and have gone undefeated in their last six in the Russian league. Those 14 points have propelled them to a total of 30 and third place in the league. They are now just one win away from tying for first place. Their UCL play is also on the upswing after a dreadful 3-0 loss to Malaga on the opening game of the tournament. They then gifted AC Milan a 3-2 win off an own goal but returned to form in a 1-0 win over Anderlecht. They need to win Tuesday's match as they have a strong opportunity to jump into second and wash away their initial missteps. Even if AC Milan walks away with a win over Malaga, a win would put Zenit just one point behind them for second and just three behind first place Malaga with a home match against them in two weeks. A draw complicates life for them if Milan wins. If Milan loses or draws, a tie for Zenit could be an acceptable consolation.
Anderlecht needs a win as a draw or loss leaves them with a maximum possibility of seven or eight points. If they lose and Milan wins, then they are automatically eliminated from further UCL contention. Their tournament has not went as planned with Belgium's second best team being held scoreless through three matches. In the domestic league they have scored 29 goals in 14 matches, making a goose egg in the UCL quite baffling. They need a big performance at home unless they want to face a serious uphill climb.
Prediction: Zenit makes the jump in this one with a 2-0 win.
Start Time: 2:45 p.m. EST