adminDORTMUND. — Borussia Dortmund host Zenit St Petersburg in the second leg of their Champions League soccer last 16 tie tonight with the Russians admitting they need a minor miracle to progress. Last season’s runners-up Dortmund enjoyed a 4-2 win in the first leg in St Petersburg three weeks ago and Zenit have since sacked Italian coach Luciano Spalletti.
Former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and ex-Russia captain Sergei Semak has since been named as Zenit’s interim coach and the 38-year-old will be on the touchline in Dortmund.
“We want to perform with dignity in the return match with Borussia. Of course our chances are slim, but miracles sometimes happen,” Semak said ahead of the game.
Both teams come into the Westfalenstadion clash on the back of defeats.
Zenit went down 1-0 at the hands of reigning champions CSKA Moscow on Saturday and it was the second consecutive Russian Premier League match in which they have failed to score.
Meanwhile, Dortmund suffered a 2-1 loss at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga as coach Jurgen Klopp was sent from the dugout for arguing with the fourth official, a misdemeanour for which he was later fined 10 000 euros (US$13 926) by the German Football Association. — AFP.
Online Reporter