Two teams from opposite ends of Europe met in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg as Benfica hosted Zenit St Petersburg at the Estadio da Luz.
Zenit won five of their six group games to advance as a top seed, but they have it all to do to reach the quarter-finals after a last-gasp Benfica winner from Jonas tonight.
Read how it all unfolded in Lisbon with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
6.47pmEvening all! After two long, long months the Champions League is back tonight and here we'll be focussing on what looks like a belting tie between Benfica and Zenit. These two have recent history and the current squads should know each other pretty well.
6.49pmBefore I bring you the team news from tonight's game at the Estadio da Luz, here's a gentle nudge in the direction of our other commentary tonight as Paris Saint-Germain host Chelsea in the French capital. You can follow both games easily with Sports Mole tonight!
6.51pmSo, tonight's game pits two sides from opposite ends of Europe against each other, but there are more similarities between the two than you might expect. In former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Villas-Boas, the visitors have a Portuguese in charge and three of Zenit's players - Axel Witsel, Ezequiel Garay and Javi Garcia - all return to their former club.
6.53pmWhat a glorious arena the Estadio da Luz (Stadium of Light) is. Very much like Arsenal's Emirates stadium.
Faltam menos de três horas! || Less than three hours away! #SLBZEN #UCL pic.twitter.com/y8vn5zWxN6
— Sport Lisboa Benfica (@SLBenfica) February 16, 2016
6.55pmBENFICA XI: Julio Cesar, Lindelof, Eliseu, Jardel, Andre Almeida, Samaris, Gaitan, Renato Sanches, Mitroglou, Jonas, Pizzi
6.56pmBENFICA SUBS: Ederson, Silvio, Semedo, Carcela-Gonzalez, Jimenez, Goncalo Guedes, Talisca
6.59pmRui Vitoria names the same starting XI that lined up against Porto in Friday night's big Primeira Liga contest. Benfica lost 2-1 to see their eight-match winning streak in the league come to an end, but Vitoria has decided against making any rash decisions.
7.01pmZENIT XI: Lodygin, Anyukov, Criscito, Lombaerts, Garay, Danny, Shatov, Javi Garcia, Witsel, Hulk, Dzyuba
7.02pmZENIT SUBS: Kerzhakov, Luis Neto, Mauricio, Yusupov, Zhirkov, Kokorin, Dolgov
7.05pmWhile Benfica had a huge game a few days ago, Zenit have not played a competitive game in two months since their last Champions League outing due to the Russian winter break. The three aforementioned former Benfica players all start for the visitors and Portuguese international Danny is also in Villas-Boas's lineup.
7.08pmSo the big question in terms of competitiveness in this tie is how match-ready are Zenit? Two months without competitive football must surely have an effect, even though Villas-Boas has taken them to warm-weather training camps in Portugal and Qatar.
7.10pmSTAT: Zenit have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third time in the last five seasons (2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16). However, they have never made it past the last 16.
7.12pmAs for Benfica, this is the first time that they have reached the knockout stages since 2011-12. That season, they beat tonight's opponents Zenit 4-3 on aggregate in the last 16 before losing to eventual champions Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
7.15pmVillas-Boas and Zenit also faced Benfica in last season's competition and did the double over the Portuguese side in the group stage. Hulk and Witsel scored the goals at the Estadio da Luz before Danny got a late winner back in Russia.
7.18pmSo how did they get here tonight? Zenit were in Group H and qualified for the knockouts after just four games. They went on to win their first five games before losing to Gent on matchday six, with the Belgian side much more in need of a win to sneak through ahead of Valencia and Lyon.
7.20pmBenfica came second behind Atletico Madrid in Group C, but they did impressively win away in Madrid in one of their group games. Other results meant that they had to settle for second place and they would have been worried about drawing someone like Barcelona or Bayern Munich in the last 16. Vitoria was no doubt quietly very happy to get Zenit.
7.23pmEven though Zenit enter this match as the top seed having won their group, I think Benfica are the slight favourites. That 2-1 defeat to Porto on Friday saw a 13-match unbeaten run (12 wins) come to an end and a win tonight might be enough to wrap up the tie. Anything less, though, and Zenit will feel confident ahead of the second leg on March 9, which takes place in the difficult conditions of the Petrovsky Stadium.
7.26pmOne thing we should get over the two legs is GOALS. Benfica have Jonas with 23 league goals this term and Fulham loanee Kostas Mitroglou in fine form (eight goals in seven games), while in Hulk and Dzyuba Zenit should always threaten.
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© Getty Images7.29pmDespite Benfica having those two men in fine form, Zenit do have a good record and the stats suggest that they might pull off a shock win tonight. The Premier League champions are the only Russian team to have beaten Benfica at the Estadio Da Luz in European competition and they have won their last three away games against Portuguese clubs in European competition.
7.32pmSo it's the Portuguese champions versus the Russian champions, but where are they lying in their respective leagues this term? Benfica are second in the Primeira Liga, three points behind city rivals Sporting after Friday's defeat to Porto, while Zenit are down in sixth in the Russian Premier League. However, they are only four points behind second so should be confident of pushing up the table in the second half of the season.
7.35pmPREDICTION: Just 10 minutes until kickoff in Lisbon, so I best make my pre-match prediction. It really could go either way and you'd have to say that this one of the harder-to-predict ties of the round. However, I'll say that Benfica win 2-1 tonight, but Zenit won't mind that too much if they can get an away goal and stay in touch ahead of the second leg back at home.
7.38pm
Both @SLBenfica and @fczenit_en are out to warm up. Half an hour until kick off @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/BKieLEJf2r
— Joseph Walker (@UEFAcomJoeW) February 16, 2016
7.40pmHuge cheer inside the stadium as Vitoria, Benfica's eagle, completes some laps of the stadium by landing on its perch and tucking into some meat. Bizarre tradition, but the supporters at the Estadio da Luz absolutely love it.
7.42pmTIGHTROPE: For Benfica, Luisao, Goncalo Guedes, Jardel and Andre Almeida are one booking away from a suspension, while Zenit's Danny, Domenico Criscito, Javi Garcia, Hulk and Artur Yusupov will incur a suspension with their next yellow card.
7.44pmHuge noise from the home fans after the CHAAAAAMPIIONS League theme tune is completed. There are around 800 Zenit fans in the top corner of the stadium who will be drowned out tonight.
0 minKICKOFF! The home side get us underway in the Portuguese capital.
1 minEarly break in play as Jonas stays down after taking an arm from Javi Garcia to the face. It was a firm, but fair challenge and we're soon back underway.
2 minLoose pass by Benfica's Eliseu and Dzyuba pounces on it before freeing Hulk down the right. It falls on the Brazilian's right foot, though, so he looks to return it to Dzyuba, but the pass is cut out.
4 minWitsel wins the visitors a free kick on the right wing and Hulk's ball into the middle is a cracker that just evades his teammates around the penalty spot. Any less on it and it would have been an easy header home.
6 minBy the way, tonight's officials are from Italy, with Gianluca Rocchi the man in charge.
7 minBrilliant burst forward from Danny and he slips in Dzyuba, but Julio Cesar is out quickly and smothers the ball just before the striker could get there. Villas-Boas has said in the build-up that his side likes to counter and we've seen evidence of that on several occasions already.
10 minChampions League debutant Lindelof likes coming forward from the back! Twice already he's left his centre-back post to travel into the opponent's half and Zenit won't mind that with their counter-attacking capabilities.
12 minChance for Pizzi to put a good ball into the Zenit box from a free kick but he overhits it poorly and that's easy for Lodygin in the Zenit goal.
14 minCouple of corners for Zenit, but Hulk's outswingers are way too low and cleared by the hosts' defence.
15 minIt looks like Shatov is in the clear from Dzyuba's flick-on, but the flag is up for offside. Right decision, too.
16 minBOOKING! First yellow card of the match for Benfica right-back Almeida and that's him suspended for the second leg! He stepped across and bodychecked the run of Criscito, so easy to see why Rocchi brandished yellow.
19 minCHANCE! First real opening of the match and it falls the home side's way as Pizzi arrives on the edge of the box with time to collect Jonas's cutback. He should take it first time, but dilly-dallies before dinking a weak effort at goal that Lodygin holds easily.
22 minReally good defending by Jardel as he watches the run of Hulk before outmuscling the bulky Brazilian and clearing out for a throw-in. After a tight opening 15 minutes, the match is just opening up a bit the last few moments.
24 minDanny goes down on the edge of the box and that did look like a foul to be honest, but Rocchi felt that there was not enough contact for a free kick. The Portuguese playmaker has been the visitors' brightest player so far.
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© Getty Images27 minBenfica had 2/3 of the possession in the first quarter of the match, but they haven't really done much with it as of yet.
29 minCLOSE! Almost the opener! Jonas tries his luck from 25 yards and it takes a slight deflection off Lombaerts before bouncing just wide. Lodygin was worried there!
32 minBOOKING! First Zenit player into the book is former Benfica man Witsel, who tugged back the surging Jonas.
33 minThe ball is in the Zenit net, but Mitroglou was way offside when he received Gaitan's ball over the top. Moments before the flag went up Lindelof again charged forward from defence and put in a cross from the byline. Loves getting forward!
35 minBOOKING! Benfica lose another player for the second leg as Jardel brings down Hulk off the ball as the Brazilian was trying to get forward and receive Dzyuba's cross. Free kick in a good position for the visitors...
36 minSHOT! Hulk goes for power over placement and pulls his shot a good couple of yards wide.
37 minBest move of the match as Sanches, Jonas and Pizzi all move the ball quickly. The latter is played through by Jonas and he looks for Gaitan at the back post, but Lodygin is alert and pounces on the cross before it can get that far.
8.24pmUPDATE: Goal in Paris and it's that man Zlatan Ibrahimovic who gives PSG the lead against Chelsea with a deflected free kick.
40 minBack in Portugal and you'd have to say that it's been a pretty even half. Benfica have had more of the ball, but Zenit will be content with how little the hosts are doing with it.
43 minBOOKING! A fourth yellow card of the half and again it's for tugging back as Pizzi brings down Shatov. The latter wasn't exactly getting away and countering up the field, so a booking is harsh there.
45 minShatov down in the box this time after a clumsy tackle from Samaris, but the Russian went down far far too easily.
45+1 minHALF-TIME: BENFICA 0-0 ZENIT
8.32pmWell, things can only get better folks! Not much to report on from the opening 45 in Lisbon, with neither side willing to take much of a risk yet. We'll be back shortly for the second 45.
8.45pmTime for the second half in Lisbon then, but before we get back underway, just to let you know that Chelsea equalised on the stroke of half time through a rare source in John Obi Mikel.
46 minKICKOFF! Zenit get us back underway. No half-time changes from either manager.
47 minIf there is a repeat of the drab first half then Zenit will be pretty happy. Benfica must take the game to their opponents this half and get themselves a lead to take to Russia in three weeks' time.
49 minEarly effort on goal from Benfica hot prospect Sanches but that's miles over the top. Zenit won't mind the youngster shooting from there!
52 minSHOTS! First shots on target of the match for Zenit and they both come from Witsel. First, the Belgian's long-range effort was beaten out by Cesar before a long throw dropped his way and he headed straight at the Brazilian stopper.
53 minChance for Benfica on the counter-attack, but Mitroglou's touch from Pizzi's pass is woeful and Zenit clear. They had five on four there and made a real mess of it.
57 minSanches and Hulk battle for possession
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© Getty Images59 minBOOKING! ANOTHER player who will miss the second leg as former Man City man Javi Garcia is yellow-carded for handball. So harsh again from Rocchi, who is getting his cards out far too quickly.
60 minJust no need to referee a match like this. Of the five bookings, two at most have been justified and he's ensured that three players will not be able to partake in the second leg.
61 minDanny with a neat bit of skill to escape Almeida but he then drifts offside upon collecting Shatov's incisive through-ball. Still yet to come to life this match.
63 minBENFICA SUB: First change of the match and it's no surprise to see Mitroglou taken off. He might be in good form domestically, but the Fulham loanee did not impress tonight. Raul Jimenez on in his place.
65 minHulk falls to the floor in the box and looks back at the referee for a penalty, but he ran into Eliseu as much as the Benfica defender did him. Give us a goal lads!
67 minBOOKING! A fourth player to miss the next match as Criscito is cautioned, but this time it was the right call as the Italian got the wrong side and tugged over Almeida. Free kick in a good position...
69 minGood grief. Pizzi's floated ball is above everyone in the box. Sums up the game that, so disappointing.
69 minCHANCE! A good bit of football - YAY! Jonas cushions a header down for Gaitan and he fakes a shot to work a yard of space before blasting straight at Lodygin. Good save, but from only 10 yards or so, Gaitan had to score there.
71 minBENFICA SUB Carcela-Gonzalez takes Pizzi's place after a below-par display from the latter.
71 minAlmeida's cross takes a deflection and it's looping towards the top corner, so Lodygin tips it over just to be safe. The ball was definitely landing on the roof of the net, though, so he should have let that go.
72 minSHOT! Benfica starting to threaten now as Sanches's deep cross is headed back across goal by Lindelof for centre-back partner Jardel. He hits it sweetly first-time under pressure but it flies wide of the target.
74 minZENIT SUB: Change up top for the visitors, with Dzyuba off for fellow Russian Kokorin, who was recently signed by Zenit in January.
9.19pmUPDATE: PSG retake the lead against Chelsea through substitute Cavani.
80 minDanny has been Zenit's brightest spark, but he's just made a mess of a pretty easy pass after Zenit had worked the ball well down the left.
81 minZENIT SUB: Like Kokorin, former Chelsea man Yuri Zhirkov arrived from Dinamo Moscow in January and he's on for his debut down the left in place of Shatov.
83 minShot on target from Eliseu, but it's from fully 30 yards and easy for Lodygin to gather. With about 10 minutes to go now, can either team find something and put themselves ahead going into the second leg?
83 minHulk manages to stab the ball through to Kokorin, but the substitute takes far too long to shoot so is tackled when he could have pulled the trigger and got off a rare shot for Zenit. So frustrating to watch this game.
86 minOh for goodness sake! Carcela-Gonzalez lets fly from range and slices it miles wide.
87 minZENIT SUB: Third and final change for the visitors, with another new acquisition, Mauricio, on for Danny.
90 minOFF! ZENIT LEFT-BACK CRISCITO GETS A SECOND YELLOW CARD!
90 minSo harsh again! Criscito tried to poke the ball away from behind. He didn't go to ground but Rocchi saw the chance to get his cards out again and sent off his fellow Italian.
90+1 minGOAL! BENFICA 1-0 ZENIT (JONAS)
90+1 minThe home side's star striker wins it by heading into the far corner from Gaitan's free kick. This game did not deserve a goal, but Jonas's 25th goal of the season means that it's advantage Benfica.
90+1 minBOOKING! Jonas took his top off when celebrating, so that's a booking for the striker.
90+4 minSHOT! Benfica going for the kill in added time as Samaris's long-ranger is beaten away by Lodygin.
90+5 minFULL-TIME: BENFICA 1-0 ZENIT
9.35pmAll over in Lisbon and Benfica are the ones celebrating thanks to Jonas's late goal. A terrible game of football, but Benfica won't care one jot as they are now in a great position to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. An away goal in three weeks' time will mean that Zenit need three to go through.
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© AFP9.38pmThanks a lot for joining SM tonight and make sure you join us again tomorrow for Roma vs. Real Madrid and Gent vs. Wolfsburg. We'll see you then!
