Liverpool vs Zenit St Petersburg

Rory Fitzgerald · February 18, 2013

Okay, there is not a lot I can add to this thread after last week’s post. However, there is one thing that might be of interest given how the tie is shaped.

Zenit played 3 Center Back's for the first and only time this season at home to Anzhi in December. I can’t find a reason for it though. Perhaps it was something to a mixture of the following;

- Kerzhakov was unavailable so Hulk was played as a striker with no suitable RW,

- Anzhi were ahead of them in the league and it was tactical against a strong opponent,

- Hiddink is Anzhi's manager so perhaps Spaletti was trying to outsmart him.

In any event, if they come out with 3 CB's and 2 WB's, it should not come as a total shock to the team given it was the formation deployed in the most recent competitive game before us and they have a 2 goal lead to defend.

What they have said since;

Question: Zenit took the ball to Liverpool, just as Luciano Spalletti promised. How hard is it for you to play in that situation?

Answer of Keeper: Actually, Spalletti didn`t give us that game plan. But we played at home, and Liverpool let us dictate the game, and to take the upper hand, so we had to take advantage of it.

Manager: We saw tonight that Zenit is in good condition, and I hope that we`ll be in the same condition when it comes to play vs. Liverpool……. Danny, as you saw, was injured in the first half. Then in the second half it was hard for him to step on his leg, and he was limping. Now we`ll need to examine him, and find out what happened to him.

Keeper: I think the match will be a lot more interesting and even in England. A lot will depend on what our condition is coming into the game.

And finally for honourablegeorge - its this Thursday !

Red Yoda · February 18, 2013

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