Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Monaco, 2014 UEFA

Monaco will have to defy the odds again if they're to beat Zenit St. Petersburg on Wednesday.


With FFP having shorn Monaco of their riches, they suffered an exodus of their most important players in the summer. The result has been a nightmarish start to the French domestic season season they sit 12th after the opening eight games. Their dream of following in the footsteps of Paris Saint-Germain and becoming a nouveau riche powerhouse of European football lies in tatters.

However, that didn't stop them recording a shock victory at home to Bayer Leverkusen in their opening Champions League game, with a second half goal from João Moutinho sealing the points. They now sit joint-top of Group C with Zenit St. Petersburg, who they meet in the Champions League's second matchday. Zenit have been one of the tournament's mainstays over the last few seasons, and home advantage cements their status as favourites heading into this match in Russia.

Key player - João Moutinho (Monaco)

With Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez having left for new clubs, João Moutinho is now the only thing left in the Monaco squad that at all resembles a world class footballer. He's a fine passer of the ball and is capable of breaking from midfield to get into goalscoring positions himself. If he's willing to apply himself (rumour has it he wanted a move away this summer) then he'd be a valuable asset for most teams in this tournament.

Key matchup - João Moutinho vs. Axel Witsel

The man who'll likely be tasked with keeping João Moutinho quiet is Axel Witsel: Zenit's all-action Belgian midfield star, who should probably be playing in a bigger league by now. Invariably playing in Zenit's deeper midfield pivot, he's responsible for both pressing up against opponents and winning the ball back, and carrying it forward in the transition phase. It's a job he does extremely well, and Moutinho will likely find it more difficult to have an influence with Witsel in his face.

Zenit St. Petersburg injuries and suspensions

Out: None. In doubt: None.

Monaco injuries and suspensions

Out: Lacina Traoré (hamstring) and Borja López (knee). In doubt: Aymen Abdennour (thigh).

Zenit should have a full-strength team available for this match, though Monaco will certainly be without striker Lacina Traoré and defender Borja López. Centre-back Aymen Abdennour will have to recover from a thigh injury if he's to be involved.

Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 8 p.m. local, 12 p.m. ET

Venue: Petrovsky Stadium, St. Petersburg, Russia

TV: Fox Soccer Plus (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.), NTV Russia, NTV+ Football (Russia)

Online: Fox Soccer 2Go, ESPN3 Online-App (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K), NTV+ Sport Online (Russia), beIN Sports Connect (France)

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