Zenit St Petersburg reaching their first Champions League quarter-final could be "very important for Russian football", says boss Andre Villas-Boas.

Zenit St Petersburg reaching their first Champions League quarter-final could be "very important for Russian football", says boss Andre Villas-Boas.

Villas-Boas' side must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Benfica.
Zenit are aiming to become the first Russian club to reach the last eight since CSKA Moscow in 2010.
"Reaching the quarter-finals is our dream," he said. "We have the advantage going into the return leg - by this I mean the supporters."
Portuguese champions Benfica travel to Russia with a slender lead thanks to an injury-time header from Brazil striker Jonas in the first leg last month.
But they will have to field a makeshift defence at the Petrovskiy Stadium with three central defenders, plus former Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, all missing.
Regulars Luisao and Lisandro Lopez are injured, while Jardel is suspended, leaving inexperienced Swede Victor Lindelof as the only recognised centre-backs in the squad.
Zenit's former Benfica defender Ezequiel Garay is fit to play, but Villas-Boas is without suspended former Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia.

Match stats

• Defeat in their final game at Gent stopped Zenit becoming only the sixth club to win all six Champions League group stage fixtures
• Zenit have never lost at home to Portuguese visitors, winning five
• The Russian champions have never been involved in a Uefa competition penalty shootout
• Benfica have won one of their seven previous visits to Russia, losing four
• Their only victory came 20 years ago when they beat Lokomotiv Moscow 3-2 in the now-defunct European Cup Winners' Cup

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