26-year-old Sardar Azmoun is Zenit’s second best scorer this season with his nine goals, only center Artiom Dziuba’s ten are better. Azmoun was slightly injured even before the first meeting with MFF two months ago, and this time Skånelaget avoids him completely.
Zenit’s first goalkeeper Stanislav Kritsjuk and midfielder Daler Kuzajev also miss the match.
– Kritsjuk and Azmuon are not here due to injuries, says coach Sergej Semak at the press conference.
– Azmoun has muscle problems and I do not know how long he will be gone. As for Kuzajev, he has trained a few times and eventually he will start playing.
Zenit St. Petersburg is forced to win in Malmö if hope is to live for further advancement. The Russian champion has only taken three points and must at the same time hope for a Juventus win against Chelsea for a play-off opportunity before the final round.
Sergei Semak has been criticized for Zenit’s Champions League result. The 4-0 win against MFF is the only one since last autumn in the tournament.
– I do not think about the criticism, every match is a new one. Why it has happened is due to difficult resistance and that we have not been good enough, says Semak.
Considering Malmö FF’s continued play in the Allsvenskan gold battle, Semak is asked if it will get in the players’ heads and MFF chooses to rotate in the team.
– When it comes to psychology, it is important for all teams everywhere, and it is often that the favorite loses. As for Malmö’s replacement bench, it is not much shorter than ours. Tomorrow I am sure that Malmö will go out to try to win this match, says the Zenit coach.
He expects a Malmö FF that will behave the same as in St. Petersburg, where the team collapsed after an expulsion of Anel Ahmedhodzic early in the second half.
– It (MFF’s game) will not change in any way. There is a lot of press play and fixed situations – no one should think that the result last reflected the match, Semak concludes.
Zenit has three wins in the last four matches in the Russian Premier League and tops the table four points ahead of Dynamo Moscow.
This season is being streamed all matches from the Uefa Champions League exclusively at Telia and C More.
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