Zenit Extend Lead at Top to Four Points with 2-0 Home Win over Duhail SC
Russian Outshoot Hosts by Massive Margin in Group C Clash
Sergey Semak's Side Now Seven Games Unbeaten in All Competitions
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg extended their lead at the top of Group C to four points with a 2-0 home win over Al Duhail SC on Tuesday, continuing their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions.
Zenit, who had won their last two Champions League matches, dominated the game from the start and created several chances in the first half, but they were unable to find the breakthrough.
The Russian champions finally took the lead in the 54th minute when Artem Dzyuba headed home a cross from the right.
Duhail had a few chances to equalize, but Zenit goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov made some good saves to keep his team ahead.
Zenit sealed the win in the 86th minute when substitute Yaroslav Rakitskiy scored from close range.
The win takes Zenit to seven points from three matches, four ahead of Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund, who drew 1-1 in the other Group C match on Tuesday.
Duhail remain bottom of the group with one point from three matches.
Match Stats
- Zenit had 24 shots to Duhail's 6.
- Zenit had 65% possession.
- Zenit completed 539 passes to Duhail's 295.
Reaction
"We played a good game and deserved to win," said Zenit coach Sergey Semak. "We created a lot of chances and could have scored more goals."
"We are happy with the three points and we are now in a good position in the group," added Zenit captain Branislav Ivanović.
"We are disappointed with the result, but we played against a strong team," said Duhail coach Rui Faria. "We will learn from this game and try to improve in the next match."
Conclusion
Zenit's win over Duhail was a deserved one and extends their lead at the top of Group C to four points. The Russian champions are now in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2015.
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