Zenit v Vardar background
Zenit have already clinched their place in a turn of 32 and could secure initial place in Group L opposite a point-less Vardar, who are already eliminated.
Previous meetings
• The sides met for a initial time in a opening tie of a group, and Zenit spoilt Vardar’s European organisation theatre entrance with a 5-0 win in Skopje. Aleksandr Kokorin led a subjection with dual early goals before Artem Dzyuba, Branislav Ivanović and Emiliano Rigoni also got in on a act.
• In their usually prior tie opposite a Russian club, Vardar separated CSKA Moskva in a 2003/04 UEFA Champions League second subordinate round, holding on for a 1-1 home pull after a 2-1 success in Moscow.
• That win stays a usually one for a Macedonian bar in 9 UEFA bar foe meetings with Russian sides (D4 L4).
Form guide
• Zenit have never mislaid a home tie in a UEFA Europa League, organisation theatre to final, winning 15 and sketch one. Their biggest feat during that method was 5-0 opposite AZ Alkmaar in final season’s organisation stage.
• Vardar won 2-1 during Fenerbahçe in this season’s UEFA Europa League play-offs to strech a organisation stage; it was a club’s usually feat in their final 15 European divided fixtures (D4 L10).
• Vardar are a usually one of a 48 teams in this season’s organisation theatre to have 0 points after 4 matches. They are in risk of apropos usually a fifth bar to remove all 6 games in a UEFA Europa League group.
• UEFA Cup winners in 2008, Zenit finished third in Russia final term. They have competed in possibly a UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League organisation theatre in any deteriorate since, and including, 2010/11, personification European football in a open on any occasion.
• Domestic champions for a third deteriorate using in 2016/17, Vardar are a initial bar from FYR Macedonia to seem in a organisation theatre of a vital UEFA competition.
Links and trivia
• The tour from Skopje to St Petersburg is around 2,100km.
• Zenit’s Rigoni and Aleksandr Kokorin jointly lead a organisation theatre scorers’ draft with 5 goals apiece.
• Vardar have conceded 17 goals in a initial 4 matchdays, 6 some-more than any other organisation in this season’s organisation stage. The record for a many goals opposite in a UEFA Europa League organisation is hold by Slovan Bratislava (20 in 2014/15).
• Suspended for subsequent compare if booked: Jigauri Jambuli, Hovhannes Hambardzumyan (Vardar).
The coaches
• 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 during Galatasaray.
• Cedomir Janevski returned to manager Vardar in Aug 2017, carrying formerly served a Skopje organisation as a defender from 1982–89. He spent many of a inserted years in Belgium, where he played for and coached Club Brugge among others.