Zenit sit back and watch Sevilla suffer

FC Zenit St. Petersburg did not play at the weekend as they prepare to recover a 4-1 deficit against Sevilla FC in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on Thursday; a match that the Spanish side will go into on the back of a painful derby defeat at rivals Real Betis Balompié.

FC Zenit St. Petersburg
Zenit were given extra time to prepare for the second leg after agreeing to postpone their Russian Premier-Liga match against FC Rostov until 17 May. The inactivity meant injured duo Igor Denisov and Kamil Čontofalský could continue their rehabilitation, although Denisov, who sustained a thigh strain during the first half of last week's visit to Spain, is still rated as doubtful.

Definitely missing are Norwegian defender Erik Hagen and midfield playmaker Andrei Arshavin who will both serve suspensions after being shown red cards in the first leg. Despite these problems, Zenit coach Vlastimil Petržela remains upbeat, saying: "It is too early to make any conclusions before the return leg in St Petersburg."

Real Betis Balompié 2-1 Sevilla FC
Sevilla could not follow up their emphatic victory against Zenit with a similar result on Sunday night as city rivals Betis edged a passionate derby 2-1, denting their hopes of bringing UEFA Champions League football to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán next season. Betis got an early advantage when Robert scored a penalty on 15 minutes, but the lead lasted just 13 minutes before Javier Saviola - who scored twice against Zenit on Thursday - equalised on the turn after the ball had rebounded to him from the crossbar. The Argentinian's effort was not enough, however, as midfielder Fernando Varela earned Betis all three points with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area just before half-time.

"I think my team made a big effort and when we lose despite trying our hardest I can have no complaints," said coach Juande Ramos. "In the second half we were looking for a goal and we rapidly went from 1-1 to being 2-1 down. Our play then became a bit rushed, but that's what happens when you're chasing a game." The result left Sevilla four points off Spain's final UEFA Champions League qualifying berth in fifth place. It was a defeat not helped by the absence of defender Ivica Dragutinović (knee) and midfielder Jordi López (thigh), both of whom are major doubts for Thursday's visit to Russia.