Zenit drew 1-1 with Spain's Sevilla at Petrovsky Stadium, on an atrocious pitch that was largely mud and in the teeth of a Baltic snowstorm for much of the time, to lose 5-2 on aggregate over the two legs. The game was as stormy as the conditions, with two players being sent off, one from each side.
Despite missing four key players, Zenit took the game to their Spanish opponents, currently challenging for a Champions League berth for next season. It missed a string of good opportunities in the first half, which ended goalless, but Korean midfielder Hyun Young-min gave it hope by finally opening the scoring in the 50th minute.
Kepa Blanco equalized in the 66th minute, just after coming on as a substitute, but the game then turned surreal as he was immediately sent off for abusing the referee before Zenit could even restart the game. The Russian side tried to press home its advantage, but pressed the self-destruct button when Croatian defender Ivica Krizanac was sent off for a reckless foul on Vicenzo Maresca a minute later.
The two clubs had clashed earlier this season in the competition's group stage, when two goals from national-team striker Alexander Kerzhakov helped Zenit to a 2-1 win at the Petrovsky Stadium.
Zenit had been hoping to repeat CSKA Moscow's success of last season, when it became the first Russian team to win the UEFA Cup by beating Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese capital.
