Zenit v Leipzig facts

Leipzig went to the top of Group G with a home win against previous leaders Zenit on Matchday 3, although the Russian club have the opportunity to replace them again at the summit when the teams meet again in St Petersburg.

• A Yaroslav Rakits'kyy goal gave Zenit the lead at the RB Arena but strikes early in the second half from Austrian internationals Konrad Laimer (49) and Marcel Sabitzer (59) gave Leipzig a lead they protected to move on to six points, two above their opponents. Lyon are also on four points, one more than Benfica.

Previous meetings
• The sides' only past contests before this season were also Leipzig's only other UEFA matches against a Russian club prior to Matchday 3. The German club were also 2-1 winners in the home first leg against Zenit in the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League round of 16, Timo Werner scoring the decisive goal, and progressed thanks to a 1-1 draw in St Petersburg, a Sebastián Driussi goal in first-half added time proving insufficient for Zenit.

Form guide
Zenit
• Having been held 1-1 at Lyon on Matchday 1, Zenit were 3-1 winners at home to Benfica two weeks later. They have won only two of their last eight European matches (D1 L5).

• Zenit have won seven of their last eight home European matches, and 12 of their last 14 (D1 L1), the sole draw coming against Leipzig. Their record in St Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League group stage is W8 D8 L3.

• Zenit claimed their sixth USSR/Russian league title in 2018/19, and the first since 2015; their last five triumphs have all come from 2007 onwards.

• This is the St Petersburg outfit's seventh UEFA Champions League group campaign, and a first since 2015/16, when they reached the round of 16 for the third time.

• In 2018/19, Zenit's 12th successive European campaign, they began in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, staging an astonishing second-leg comeback against Dinamo Minsk in St Petersburg to win 8-1 after extra time following a shock 4-0 first-leg defeat in Belarus. They went on to beat Molde in the play-offs and finish first in a group including Slavia Praha, Bordeaux and Copenhagen, beating Fenerbahçe in the round of 32 before losing home (1-3) and away (1-2) against Villarreal in the round of 16.

• Zenit are without a victory in their last three home matches against German visitors (D1 L2); indeed, they have won only twice in their nine fixtures against Bundesliga clubs in St Petersburg (D2 L5).

Leipzig
• Werner's double gave Leipzig a 2-1 victory at Benfica on Matchday 1 although they then went down 2-0 at home to Lyon. The Matchday 3 success against Zenit made it four wins in their nine UEFA Champions League fixtures.

• Third in the Bundesliga last season and German Cup finalists, this is Leipzig's third European campaign, and only their 28th match. In 2017/18 they became the first team to make their European debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage, when they picked up seven points to finish third in a section including Beşiktaş, Porto and Monaco. They went on to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals before losing to Marseille.

• Two years ago Leipzig lost at Beşiktaş (0-2) and Porto (1-3), but did record a 4-1 success at Monaco to claim their first European away victory.

• In 2018/19 the German club came through three qualifying rounds to reach the UEFA Europa League group stage, but finished behind Salzburg and Celtic to drop out of the competition, collecting seven points from their three games.

• The Matchday 1 success at Benfica was only Leipzig's fourth away European win in their 13th match (D4 L5).

Links and trivia
• Have played in Germany:
Róbert Mak (Nürnberg 2010-14)
Douglas Santos (Hamburg 2016-19)

• Christopher Nkunku made his senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain as a late substitute in a 2-0 win against Rakits'kyy's Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 8 December 2015.

• Yussuf Poulsen scored his first goal for Denmark in a 2-0 UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying win against a Serbia team captained by Branislav Ivanović on 13 June 2015.

• Patrik Schick was on target for the Czech Republic against Rakits'kyy's Ukraine (1-2) and twice against a Slovakia team including Róbert Mak (2-1 a, 1-0 h) in the UEFA Nations League in 2018.

• Ethan Ampadu was in the Wales side that drew 1-1 against Mak's Slovakia  in a UEFA EURO 2020 qualifier on 10 October.

Latest news

Zenit
• Zenit have won six of their last eight league games to sit top of the Russian Premier League, although they were held 1-1 at home by CSKA Moskva on Saturday.

• Artem Dzyuba has provided the most assists (9) in this season's Russian Premier League. He has also scored nine goals himself.

• Dzyuba has seven goals in his last six matches for Zenit and Russia.

• Zenit beat Tom 4-0 in the Russian Cup last 16 on 30 October and will be at home to Akhmat in the quarter-finals in March.

• Dzyuba missed the cup game with what coach Sergei Semak called "minor health problems" but returned to play 90 minutes against CSKA.

• Zenit academy graduates goalkeeper Aleksandr Vasyutin and defender Danila Prokhin made their competitive debuts against Tom.

• Malcom, who has not played since 10 August due to a thigh injury, has undergone surgery and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the year.

• Emanuel Mammana suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury against Ural on 6 October and is likely to be out for several months.

• Zenit lost 3-2 to Lokomotiv Moskva in the Russian Super Cup on 6 July.

Leipzig
• Matchday 3 ended Leipzig's run of four competitive games without a win; they subsequently went down 2-1 at Freiburg on 26 October but bounced back in style four days later, inflicting Wolfsburg's first competitive loss of the season in style with a 6-1 away win in the last 32 of the German Cup.

• On Saturday Leipzig made it 14 goals in two matches with an 8-0 home victory against Mainz – the club's record win. They last scored eight goals in a game in an 8-2 defeat of Wilhelmshaven in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Nord on 19 February 2012.

• Timo Werner scored a hat-trick on Saturday and also set up another three, his first assists in this season's Bundesliga.

• Werner, who also scored Leipzig's last two goals in Wolfsburg, has hit 13 in 15 competitive games this season.

• Willi Orban had to be substituted in the first half in Wolfsburg because of knee problems and missed the Mainz game.

• Kevin Kampl, who made his first appearance since 30 October in the 1-1 Bundesliga draw against Wolfsburg after recovering from an ankle injury, has not played since Matchday 3 due to illness, although he was an unused substitute against Mainz.

• Ademola Lookman has not played since 26 October due to a back problem; Patrik Schick has been out since 14 October and has an ankle injury.

• Ibrahima Konaté suffered a hip injury against Lyon on 2 October, and is now back in light training.

• Tyler Adams has been out since the beginning of August due to a metatarsal injury, but has returned to team training.

• On 17 June Hannes Wolf scored for Austria against Serbia in their first game of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship before breaking his right ankle. He is also back in light training.