http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 FC at Anfield
Zenit St. Petersburg will play the return leg of the UEFA Europa League round-of-16 against Liverpool FC at Anfield on Thursday after winning the first leg by a comfortable 2-0 score-line at Petrovsky stadium.
There is little arguing to the statement that the St. Petersburg club are now the favorites to win the respective European encounter against the English Premier League club following their first leg dominance at home.
Zenit goalkeeper, Vyacheslav Malafeev, has warned his side’s defenders to remain on their toes when they mark Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez, telling them that they need to work harder despite the two-goal cushion.
The Uruguayan International tested the 33-year-old shot-stopper plenty of times during the first leg of the contest on the away turf and Malafeev is of the belief that Suarez will trouble him once more when they travel to Lane 4.
"I think Suarez is a wonderful player and he will be dangerous for us in this regard. We are going to face a big team at a marvelous stadium. Our opponents have some other quite dangerous players as well.”
"Zenit are a team that can beat anyone but we need to remain calm and play with a lot of concentration. I think we are capable of going through and it does not matter against whom we play, we fight until the last minute of the match.” THE UEFA Cup winner
was quoted as saying.
Malafeev went on to reveal that the Reds are far from the form they are famous for in the continental tournament and gave example of their FA Cup and Capital One Cup’s elimination lately.
The defensive powerhouse, who became the second player in the history of the Russian club in terms of most appearances made in all competition, is expected to start the return leg on Thursday.
Malafeev notched his 424th appearance for Zenit and bypassed http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Leo-c22011 Burchalkin (423) to reach such a milestone. However, the Russian International is yet to match Anatoli Davydov’s record of 456.
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