UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2018/19 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Saint Petersburg Stadium - St Petersburg Thursday 29 November 2018 FC Zenit 18.55CET (20.55 local time) FC København Group C - Matchday 5 Last updated 15/03/2019 12:33CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 4 Team facts 6 Squad list 8 Fixtures and results 11 Match-by-match lineups 14 Match officials 17 Legend 18 1 FC Zenit - FC København Thursday 29 November 2018 - 18.55CET (20.55 local time) Match press kit Saint Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 20/09/2018 GS FC København - FC Zenit 1-1 Copenhagen Sotiriou 63; Mak 44 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA FC Zenit 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 FC København 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 FC Zenit - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Shirokov 26, 90+3, 5-0 07/08/2013 QR3 FC Zenit - FC Nordsjælland St Petersburg Hulk 50, Danny 62, agg: 6-0 Arshavin 68 30/07/2013 QR3 FC Nordsjælland - FC Zenit 0-1 Farum A. Kerzhakov 49 UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 0-0 27/09/1989 R1 Næstved BK - FC Zenit Naestved agg: 1-3 Chukhlov 22, Stepanov 57, 13/09/1989 R1 FC Zenit - Næstved BK 3-1 St Petersburg Popelnukha 72; Jørgensen 19 (P) FC København - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers FC Lokomotiv Moskva - FC Farfán 17, 51; Verbič 23/11/2017 GS 2-1 Moscow København 31 FC København - FC Lokomotiv 14/09/2017 GS 0-0 Copenhagen Moskva UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 24/11/2010 GS FC Rubin - FC København 1-0 Kazan Noboa 45+2 (P) 14/09/2010 GS FC København - FC Rubin 1-0 Copenhagen N'Doye 87 UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 1-1 Sheshukov 54 (og); 02/10/2008 R1 FC København - FC Moskva Copenhagen agg: 3-2 Bracamonte 37 Samedov 90+1; 18/09/2008 R1 FC Moskva - FC København 1-2 Moscow Nordstrand 45 (P), Sionko 90+3 2 FC Zenit - FC København Thursday 29 November 2018 - 18.55CET (20.55 local time) Match press kit Saint Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers FC Lokomotiv Moskva - FC 29/11/2007 GS 0-1 Moscow Nordstrand 62 (P) København Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA FC Zenit 2 2 0 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 2 0 10 2 FC København 4 1 3 0 4 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 3 3 2 7 6 3 FC Zenit - FC København Thursday 29 November 2018 - 18.55CET (20.55 local time) Match press kit Saint Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg Match background Zenit boast a formidable UEFA Europa League home record and yet another win in St Petersburg for the Group C leaders, this time against FC København, will clinch the home side's place in the round of 32 with a game to spare. Defeat for the visitors could end their hopes of further progress. • Zenit are unbeaten in their four group games, having won twice at home and drawn twice away, most recently at Bordeaux (1-1). The 2-1 win against the same opponents on matchday three was their 21st successive home fixture in the UEFA Europa League proper without defeat, a new competition record. • København are three points in arrears of Zenit in third place, their one victory having come at Bordeaux on matcdhay two (2-1). They drew 0-0 away to Slavia Praha last time out, having lost 0-1 at home to the Czech side a fortnight earlier. Previous meetings • The clubs' first ever UEFA competition fixture, on matchday one, ended 1-1 in Copenhagen, Pieros Sotiriou equalising for the home side after Róbert Mak had given Zenit a half-time lead. That draw means both clubs still have positive all-time records against opposition from the other's country, with Zenit now undefeated in five games against Danish teams (W3 D2) including victories in both home fixtures, and FCK boasting three wins and three draws in eight games versus Russian opposition. • The Danish side have, however, lost their last two matches in Russia, most recently 2-1 at Lokomotiv Moskva on matchday five of last season's UEFA Europa League. Form guide Zenit • Fifth in the 2017/18 Russian Premier League, Zenit's 12th successive European campaign began in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, where they staged an astonishing second-leg comeback against Dinamo Minsk in St Petersburg, winning 8-1 after extra time in response to a shock 4-0 first-leg defeat in Belarus. Their play-off victory over Molde was also a tight call, a 3-1 home win preceding a 2-1 loss in Norway. • This is Zenit's third successive appearance in the UEFA Europa League group stage, and fourth in all. They have qualified for the knockout phase on each previous occasion, reaching the round of 16 last season before going out to RB Leipzig. UEFA Cup winners in 2008, they are one of six clubs in this season's group stage to have lifted the trophy. • Zenit have never lost at home in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final, winning 19 of their 21 matches in St Petersburg and all 11 in the group stage. København • FCK were dethroned as Danish champions last season, missing out on a third successive title and ensuring an 18th successive European campaign only after a post-season play-off win. They are one of only four clubs to have reached this season's UEFA Europa League group stage after beginning their campaign in the first qualifying round, the other three being Apollon Limassol, Rangers and Sarpsborg. A penalty shoot-out win took them past Atalanta after two goalless draws in the play-offs. • The Danish club are taking part in a sixth UEFA Europa League group stage and have progressed twice before, most recently last season when they lost in the round of 32 to eventual winners Atlético Madrid (1-4 home, 0-1 away). They had gone a round further in 2016/17 after crossing over from the UEFA Champions League group stage. • København have won four and drawn two of their six away games in this European campaign, conceding only two goals in the process. The 2-1 success at Bordeaux on matchday two nevertheless ended a run of five away fixtures in the UEFA Europa League proper without a win (D2 L3). Links and trivia • Mak and FCK's Ján Greguš are team-mates with Slovakia. • Both clubs play in stadiums that will host matches at UEFA EURO 2020, including three each in Group B. • Zenit are seeking to win their UEFA Europa League group for the third successive season – a feat previously achieved by only two clubs, PSV Eindhoven and Sporting CP, who both recorded their hat-trick in the first three seasons of the competition (2009/10–2011/12). • Zenit have scored at least once in all 22 of their UEFA Europa League group stage fixtures, registering 57 goals in total. • This is Ståle Solbakken's 31st match as FCK coach in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final. Only three other coaches have taken charge of more games in the competition with one club – Unai Emery (Sevilla, 39), Jorge 4 FC Zenit - FC København Thursday 29 November 2018 - 18.55CET (20.55 local time) Match press kit Saint Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg Jesus (Benfica, 38) and Kurban Berdyev (Rubin, 32). The coaches • Sergei Semak took over as Zenit's head coach in May 2018 after an impressive 18-month tenure at FC Ufa that led to the club's first ever European qualification. The former Russia international midfielder had previously worked as an assistant coach at Zenit after ending his playing career there. His peak years on the field came at CSKA Moskva, where he skippered the club to Russian league and cup triumphs, though he left for Paris Saint-Germain midway through the 2004/05 season in which the Moscow club won the UEFA Cup. • Solbakken's second coaching tenure at København began in 2013. He has won seven Danish titles in charge of FCK, five of those in his first spell from 2006 to 2011. The former Norway midfielder won 58 caps and scored nine goals for his country, appearing at both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000, and had short spells coaching in Germany (with Köln) and England (with Wolves) in between his two lengthy stints in the Danish capital. 5 FC Zenit - FC København Thursday 29 November 2018 - 18.55CET (20.55 local time) Match press kit Saint Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg Team facts FC Zenit Formed: 1925 Nickname: Sine-belo-golubye (Blue-White-Sky Blues) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • UEFA Cup (1): 2008 • UEFA Super Cup (1): 2008 Domestic honours (latest triumph in brackets) League title: 5 (2015) USSR/Russian Cup: 4 (2016) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless otherwise indicated) 2017/18: round of 16 2016/17: round of 32 2015/16: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2014/15: quarter-finals (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) 2013/14: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2012/13: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) 2011/12: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2010/11: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2009/10: play-offs 2008/09: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 8-0: Zenit v Encamp 29/08/02, UEFA Cup qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 0-5 twice, most recently v Vardar 14/09/17, UEFA Europa League group stage • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Zenit v Bologna 16/09/99, UEFA Cup first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 5-0 twice, most recently v Stuttgart 01/11/89, UEFA Cup second round