UEFA CUP ...........

BAYER LEVERKUSEN - ZENIT ST PETERSBURG

I like this Zenit side and having now started their domestic league, the edge that the other european teams had in fitness has lessened and will have disappeared by the return leg, actually, from now on, they should have the advantage, being much fresher.

Feel that there will be goals tonight and the "over" at 2.0 seems ok, both sides come here on the back of shock home defeats and have struggled a little defensively. Zenit are definitely missing Skrtel, who is now at Liverpool, but have plenty of other talent. Owned by Gazprom, their country's main energy company, they are Russia's richest club and have several players on a reputed £40k per week. Andrei Arshavin is their key player and he will be pulling the strings, in Pavel Progrebnyah they have an inform striker looking to be the competitions top scorer, he scored 4 of the five goals, which saw off Villarreal and Marseille, in the previous two rounds.

German clubs always take this tournament seriously and Leverkusen claim that it is as important as the Bundesliga, but having lost a top 4 spot with the home defeat to Frankfurt, surely they will have one eye on the trip to Dortmund at the weekend.

I have to take them getting a full goal start and will also chance a little in the outright market, CSKA took this title in 2005 and Zenit have much in common with that side.

5 points Zenit +1 goal 1.87 asian line

2 points Zenit to win the UEFA Cup 17.0 + general quote, bigger on the exchanges and 21.0 with Skybet.

Good Luck.