Borussia Dortmund vs Zenit St. Petersburg: Key battles that could decide Champions League clash
By Tushar Bahl
Borussia Dortmund host Zenit St. Petersburg on Wednesday in what promises to be a cracking contest with both teams still searching for their first Champions League win.
Borussia Dortmund suffered a 3-1 loss to Lazio on the opening matchday of the Champions League group stage, and go into this game knowing that anything other than a win could be a serious blow to their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16. Zenit are in a similar position, having tasted a 2-1 defeat at home to Club Brugge last week.
The Russian Premier League champions have a number of quality players in their ranks. So Borussia Dortmund cannot afford to take them lightly, even though they go into the game as favourites. Zenit like to defend deep and play direct long balls forward, so while the Black and Yellows will have a lot of possession, they will also have to be alert defensively at all times.
The contrasting playing styles of the two teams could make for an intriguing contest at the Westfalenstadion. Here we look at three key battles that could decide the game.