The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Europa League opponents Zenit a top European team: Davies
Chris Davies reckons Celtic will be facing a Champions League-quality outfit when they kick off their Europa League campaign against Zenit St Petersburg.
The Hoops have dropped down into Uefa’s second tier after finishing third in their Champions League group.
But assistant boss Davies expects the standard to be just as tough as they take on Roberto Mancini’s Russian outfit at Parkhead in tomorrow’s first leg.
Zenit topped their Europa League section with five wins and a draw, and lead the tournament’s scoring charts.
“What’s important to acknowledge is the level of the opponent we’re about to face,” Brendan Rodgers’ right-hand man said.
“Having analysed them and watched them for a few months now, we know they are individually and collectively a top team – a Champions League-level team with quality.
“We have to recognise that, respect that and be prepared for that. With the quality they have, they’re good in possession but also good on the counter-attack and can be a threat on set-plays.
“Top teams can do all three of those and they have shown they’re just that in the games I’ve seen.
“They were the top scorers in the Europa League with 17 goals in six games, so they’re scoring nearly three goals a game and conceding less than one on average. These numbers tell you a story as well.”
AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are among the 32 remaining Europa League contenders, but Davies believes Zenit can also rightly claim to be one of the favourites to reach May’s final in Lyon.
Zwenit are now only just returning to competitive action after a near three-month winter break and have spent the last couple of weeks at a training camp in Turkey.