Two clubs chasing qualification for the UEFA Champions League will do battle today in a match between Standard Liege and Zenit St. Petersburg. The playoff scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne and can be live streamed here free.
Not many have given Standard Liege a chance of moving past their favored opposition this afternoon. The Russian powerhouse of Zenit St. Petersburg aren't just tipped to reach the group stages of the Champions League, according to Liege manager Guy Luzon, the club should be considered favorites to reach the final four of the tournament.
"Zenit are a different level," Luzon said (via UEFA). "Though, to be honest, they are like a top-five team in the Premier League. We have a five percent chance of qualifying, as you cannot compare our squad to Zenit's. In my opinion, they do not have any weaknesses, even on the bench."
"I think Zenit can reach the semifinals considering their squad," he added. "They would comfortably be champions if they played in Belgium."
Luzon and company must still attempt to make this an uncomfortable trip for Zenit.
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Pure power and pace, that's all Zenit St. Petersburg's Hulk provides the club down the channel. In four appearances this season, the 28-year-old has four goals and an average of 3.3 successful take-ons per match.
Standard Liege's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Kawashima; Van Damme, Arslanagic, Teixeira, Ciman; Mpoku, Marquet, Lumanza, Louis; De Camargo, Mbombo
Zenit St. Petersburg's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lodygin; Criscito, Garay, Lombaerts, Smolnikov; Ryazantsev, Fayzulin; Hulk, Shatov, Danny; Rondón
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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