The Eagles take on Zenit St. Petersburg in the midst of the cruel winter, with Bettor.com analyzing the key battles of the clash that will determine the outcome.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Oscar-c28720 Cardozo vs. Bruno Alves
The old foes are set to go head-to-head once again at the Luzhniki, with Oscar Cardozo having the upper hand due to his sublime form.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Porto-c39186 to Zenit in 2010 and has experienced mild success with the club after picking up the Russian Premier League title in the same year.
However with the rise of Anzhi Makhachkala and CSKA Moscow, the Meshki have been restricted on the domestic front, although they are battling in Europe’s premier competition this term.
Alves himself hasn’t been at his best this season and has hardly featured in Zenit’s Champions League campaign due to a red card against APOEL FC.
On the other hand, Oscar Cardozo seems to be in red hot form and currently leads the scoring charts in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Portugal-c2984 with 20 strikes in all competitions.
The mercurial Paraguayan has been one of the Reds’ leading lights this season and will be hard to contain on match day, which makes this battle even more intriguing.
Nicolas Gaitan vs. Vladimir Bystrov
The talented Argentine has been one of the best performers in the UEFA Champions League this season and set the tournament alight with his displays in the group stages.
Primarily playing as a midfielder he guided the Lisbon giants to scintillating draws against Manchester United, while being an influential figure in wins over http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Basel-c39079 and Otelul Galati.
Gaitan has garnered interest from top sides across Europe and is set to make a summer switch but in the meantime he will channel his energies into securing passage to the quarterfinals for Benfica.
With a host of injuries ruling out the majority of the home side, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Vladimir-Bystrov-c36328 is set to start on the left wing.
As well as his attacking duties, the Russian International has the unsavoury task of man-marking Nicolas Gaitan on the flank. Something which is easier said than done and could cost his side the game, if not carried out properly.
Ezequiel Garay vs. Aleksandr Kerzhakov
A definite contender for Benfica’s player of the season, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ezequiel-Garay-c13071 has turned heads around Europe with his outings for the Portuguese outfit. A player who has played in nearly all the games this campaign, the former Real Madrid man is a rock in the
backline and can be credited as one the main reasons why the club are first in the Liga Sagres standings.
Garay was able to put the lid on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Aleksandr-Kerzhakov-c4569 will have to summon every ounce of skill and energy to drift pass the Sky Blue International.
The 29-year-old is no stranger to success either and has accumulated a host of individual and club gongs over his illustrious career and in the dead cold Russian winter, he faces perhaps one of the strongest challenges of his time at Zenit.
If Garay continues where he left off in the group stages, he will be able to subdue all opposing attackers, meaning that the game could very well be decided in this crucial battle.
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