Real Sociedad v Zenit background
With gift for a turn of 32 already underneath close and key, Real Sociedad and Zenit go conduct to conduct in San Sebastian with their eyes on a esteem of initial place in Group L.
Previous meetings
• The sides met for a initial time on matchday two, Aleksandr Kokorin scoring twice in a Saint Petersburg Stadium to supplement to an early Emiliano Rigoni strike and give Zenit a 3-1 victory; Diego Llorente got Real Sociedad’s satisfaction goal.
• Real Sociedad’s record in 5 encounters with Russian teams now stands during W3 L2, with victories in both home games. They were separated from a 2014/15 UEFA Europa League play-offs – their many new European debate before to this one – by Krasnodar, a 1-0 home win preceding a 3-0 better in Russia.
• Zenit’s formula in 19 matches opposite Spanish sides are damaged down as follows: W5 D6 L8. Their usually feat in Spain came in their many new fixture, 3-2 during Valencia in a opening organisation diversion of a 2015/16 UEFA Champions League. They had mislaid on all 7 of their progressing visits.
Form guide
• Real Sociedad have won their final 4 European fixtures in San Sebastian but conceding, scoring 13 times themselves. In a UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League they are on a run of 12 unbroken home wins, in that they have let in only one goal – to another Spanish club, Atlético Madrid.
• The final organisation to repudiate La Real feat in front of their possess fans in this foe were Sporting CP in a second turn of a 1988/89 UEFA Cup (0-0). The final non-Spanish side to measure opposite them in San Sebastian in this foe were Dukla Praha in a same deteriorate a turn progressing (a 2-1 home win).
• Zenit are undefeated in 6 UEFA outings (W5 D1) and are guaranteed prime European football for a eighth year in a row.
• Although Real Sociedad played in a UEFA Champions League organisation theatre in 2003/04 and 2013/14, a San Sebastian outfit are creation their entrance during this connection of a UEFA Europa League.
• UEFA Cup winners in 2008, Zenit finished third in Russia final term. They have competed in possibly a UEFA Champions League or a UEFA Europa League organisation theatre in each deteriorate since – and including – 2010/11.
Links and trivia
• The tour from St Petersburg to San Sebastian is around 2,850km.
• Zenit’s MatÃas Kranevitter played in Spain with Atlético Madrid (2015/16) and Sevilla (2016/17), for whom he played in a 4-0 win during Real in Jan 2017.
• Real have a best disciplinary record in a competition, carrying incurred only one yellow label in a initial 5 matchdays.
• La Real are a highest-scoring organisation in a foe after 5 games with 15 goals – one some-more than Zenit. They also lead a approach with many idea attempts (79) and many possession (67%) and share tip billing with Nice for top pass execution rate (91%).
• Zenit’s Rigoni is a competition’s joint-leading scorer (alongside Milan’s André Silva) with 6 goals; Kokorin is subsequent in line with five.
• Real’s Sergio Canales now tops a 2017/18 UEFA Europa League assists draft with five – one some-more than team-mate Xabi Prieto.
The coaches
• Real Sociedad trainer given 2015, Eusebio Sacristán can finish a full set of vital UEFA trophies this season, carrying won a European Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup as a midfielder with Barcelona. He was also Barcelona’s partner manager and B organisation boss.
• Roberto Mancini took assign of Zenit in Jun 2017. A UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup leader as a actor with Sampdoria in 1989/90 and Lazio in 1998/99, he coached Internazionale Milano and Manchester City to joining championships, and some-more recently claimed a Turkish Cup delight with Galatasaray.