Jonas late show downs Andre
ANDRE Villas- Boas is still determined to leave Zenit St Petersburg at the end of the season.
The 38- year- old former Chelsea and Tottenham manager has not resolved his differences with the club since leading them to the Russian League title last season.
On this showing in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz last night, it is doubtful he will leave them as European champions either. But he would have been happy with his side’s resolute defending – at least, until the first minute of added time.
It was then that Zenit’s Italian defender Domenico Criscito was sent off for picking up a second yellow card.
It proved costly, because from Nico Gaitan’s free- kick, Jonas headed superbly past Yuri Lodygin to give the Portuguese champions a narrow advantage to take into the second leg on March 9.
Until then, Zenit, playing only their first competitive game since September 9 because of the Russian winter break, had taken everything Benfica could throw at them.
Rui Vitoria’s men, in fact, ended at a disadvantage with needless bookings for defender Jardel and Andre Almeida ruling them out of the second leg.
And it was a fruitless night for Kostas Mitroglou, a fl op at Fulham during their relegation season in 2014 who has found his shooting boots again in Lisbon this term.
Lodygin pulled off a fine save to deny Gaitan – but this tie still has plenty of mileage.