Zenit clutch at straws against Twente

The 2008 UEFA Cup winners, FC Zenit St Petersburg are up against it as they bid to end FC Twente's hopes in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 following the Dutch side's 3-0 win in the first leg.

• Two goals from Luuk de Jong helped Twente build up their three-goal advantage. The striker headed his side in front after 25 minutes and repeated the trick in second-half added time after Denny Landzaat had fired in the second goal for the Dutch champions 11 minutes after the restart.

Previous meetings
• This is the sides' first tie in UEFA club competition.

• Having never met a Russian team prior to 2011, Twente are facing Premier-Liga opposition for the second round in succession, having beaten FC Rubin Kazan 4-2 over two legs in the last 32, winning 2-0 in Russia then drawing 2-2 at home. Zenit ended Rubin's two-year spell as Russian champions in 2010.

• In Zenit's only previous game against a Dutch side, they drew 1-1 against AZ Alkmaar in a 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage home fixture. Ari, who scored AZ's goal, now plays in Russia with FC Spartak Moskva.

Match background
• Zenit are unbeaten in 11 European home games since a 2-1 UEFA Champions League group stage loss to Real Madrid FC on 30 September 2008. They have won all six of their home continental matches this season, averaging three goals in each since the start of the UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Twente have been alternating defeats and victories in their four European away games this season, and since they won 2-0 at Rubin in the round of 32, are due a defeat at Zenit if that run is to continue.

Team facts
• Liverpool won the UEFA Cup three times (in 1973, 1976 and 2001) and are thus the most successful side left in this season's competition, though PSV Eindhoven (1978), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1988), AFC Ajax (1992), FC Porto (2003), PFC CSKA Moskva (2005) and Zenit (2008) have also won it.

• Of the sides left in the last 16, Twente (1975), SL Benfica (1983) and Rangers FC (2008) have all been on the losing side in UEFA Cup finals.

• Twente boss Michel Preud'homme will not remember his only previous tie against Zenit with much fondness; he was sent to the stands as his R. Standard de Liège side lost 3-0 at the Petrovski Stadion in the first leg of a 2007/08 UEFA Cup first round tie. Manu Ferrera deputised for the suspended Preud'homme when they drew 1-1 back in Belgium.

• Zenit defender Nicholas Lombaerts is recovering from a knee injury and is likely to miss the second leg, which would have seen him face fellow Belgians Bart Buysse and Nacer Chadli, not to mention Twente's Belgian coach Preud'homme.

• Zenit's Danko Lazović played in the Netherlands for Feyenoord, Vitesse and PSV Eindhoven between 2003 and 2010, with Twente midfielder Theo Janssen a team-mate of his at the Arnhem club in 2006/07.

• Zenit remain the competition's top scorers with 22 goals in nine games since the start of the group stage. They had also been caught offside more than any other team, 36 times in total.

Penalties
• Zenit have never been involved in a European penalty shoot-out.

• Twente have had one continental game settled by spot kicks, in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 32, losing 7-6 at home against Olympique de Marseille after their tie ended 1-1 on aggregate.