Austria Vienna picked up their first ever point in the Champions League on Tuesday night as they drew 0-0 at Zenit St Petersburg in Group G.
The big moment of controversy came at the end of the first half as Axel Witsel was shown a straight red card for the hosts for a challenge on Florian Mader.
Both teams created chances throughout the contest, but some poor finishing saw the spoils shared.
Read Sports Mole's minute-by-minute report below to find out how the action unfolded.
Hello there and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Champions League Group G clash between Zenit St Petersburg and Austria Vienna.
Don't you just love a Champions League week? Zenit and Austria Vienna gets us underway in just under an hour, but there are plenty of great fixtures coming up tonight and tomorrow.
Here's just a taster of what's coming up in the next couple of days:
Tuesday:
Arsenal vs. Napoli
Borussia Dortmund vs. Marseille
Porto vs. Atletico Madrid
Ajax vs. AC Milan
Celtic vs. Barcelona
Wednesday:
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Manchester United
Juventus vs. Galatasaray
PSG vs. Benfica
Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich
Anyway, back to business. Both of these teams come into tonight's match having lost their respective openers two weeks ago. A defeat for either later could mean an almost fatal blow in terms of progressing through to the next round considering that the other two teams in Group G are Atletico Madrid and Porto.
Zenit's campaign could hardly have got off to a worse start as they were beaten 3-1 by Atletico Madrid in Spain. Miranda, Turan and Baptistao got the goals for the hosts, while Hulk responded for the visitors.
Austria Vienna didn't suffer quite such a similar fate as Zenit, but they were still on the wrong end of their result as they went down 1-0 at home to Porto.
It looks like we have some team news coming up for you...
ZENIT: Lodygin, Lombaerts, Hubocan, Smolnikov, Anyukov, Shatov, Faizulin, Witsel, Danny, Hulk, Kerzhakov
VIENNA: Lindner, Ortlechner, Ramsebner, Leovac, Suttner, Koch, Simkovic, Mader, Holland, Royer, Hosiner
Domestically, Zenit are currently enjoying a strong campaign in the Russian Premier League. They sit three points clear at the top of the table after 11 matches, with eight wins and just one defeat coming in that time.
In contrast, Vienna have had a faltering start to the defence of their Austrian Bundesliga title as four wins, three draws and three defeats have left them in fifth place in the table.
RECENT FORM:
ZENIT: WWLWWW
VIENNA: DLLWLL
PREDICTION TIME: As the form table suggests, Zenit are likely to be the more confident side for tonight's match. However, Vienna should take plenty of heart from their performance against Porto, and if they make life difficult for Zenit, anything could happen.
With all that said, here's a telling tweet from the official Champions League account:
FACT: @zenit_spb have won 4 of their last 5 home outings in Europe & have lost just 1 of their last 23. @FKAustriaWien have been warned.#UCL — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 1, 2013
Around 10 minutes to go until this one gets underway...
HEAD TO HEAD: Just before the players emerge from the tunnel, a quick look at the head-to-head record between these sides. Put simply, Zenit have beaten Vienna on all three occasions that they have met. Two of those meetings came in 2006, while the last match was 2009. In all three fixtures, Vienna have failed to score.
Here come the players!
The pre-match rituals have been done, and it will be Zenit who get us underway. Here we go!
As expected, Zenit are controlling things from the off. Vienna are struggling to get hold of the ball as the home side passes it around with confidence. Also, it must be said that the crowd are in fine voice.
YELLOW CARD: An early booking goes the way of Zenit defender Smolnikov for chopping down Royer on the edge of the box. Simkovic takes the resulting free kick, but he curls it over the crossbar.
Danny shows lovely skill down the left wing, weaving his way past the Vienna defender before the move breaks down due to a poor exchange of passes with Smolnikov. It's still Zenit doing the majority of the pressing.
Something of a half chance for Shatov on the edge of the area as the Zenit forward miscues his shot before the visitors hack the ball away. A cleaner connection there and who knows what might have happened.
CHANCE! Vienna's best spell of the match sees Royer pick the ball up down the right side before drilling a cross into the box, but no one is there to convert. That was a great delivery which was begging for someone to get on the end of.
OFF THE POST! Nearly the opening goal for Zenit and their Brazilian striker Hulk! The burly forward fizzes a shot on target from 18 yards, only to see his effort tipped onto the post by the fingertips of goalkeeper Lindner.
SAVE! Now Vienna go close through Royer! He's been lively so far, and he almost found the net but for Lodigin's unorthodox save to bat away his strike from the edge of the area.
This has been a pretty decent match so far, with both sides looking to attack at every available opportunity. No caution from any of the players just yet.
SAVE! Another great stop from Lindner denies Hulk again! The Zenit striker combined well with Danny before thundering an effort towards goal from inside the box. However, the Vienna shotstopper was at full stretch to push the shot away from danger. Great stuff.
SAVE! Lindner to the rescue again for Vienna as he manages to hold Lombaerts's header after the defender directed Hulk's floated free kick towards goal. Zenit are starting to take real control now.
The visitors let their opponents that they're still around thanks to Mader's long-range effort. However, it's a weak drive that is comfortable gathered by Lodigin.
A moment of slight panic for Zenit there as their goalkeeper Lodigin gets absolutely nowhere near a cross. Thankfully for him, there's a defender close by to hoof away the danger. That was dreadful goalkeeping.
Zenit carve themselves out a decent chance as Smolnikov slides a great cross into the box, but two Zenit players seem to get their feet wrong as the ball goes past them and into the possession of Vienna.
CHANCE! Wonderful opportunity for Zenit to take the lead as Hulk plays in Kerzhakov, but the striker slices his shot high and wide from goal on the angle.
The one area that Zenit will be frustrated with at the moment is their crossing. The Russians are keen to spread the ball out wide whenever they get the chance to do so, only for the end product to be poor. There have been some good balls into the area, though those are few and far between.
Another threatening move from Zenit ends with Kerzhakov directing a limp header wide of goal.
CHANCE! Close for Vienna! Lombaerts gives the ball away sloppily to Hosiner, who runs at the Zenit goal with intent. He eventually gets his shot away from the edge of the area, only to see it fly inches wide of the post.
If anything, the visitors are finishing the half stronger than their opponents. They've suddenly got a bit more of a spring in their step, as if their belief is growing.
RED CARD! AXEL WITSEL (ZENIT)
Oh my word! Zenit are down to 10 men and it has to be said that it's a harsh one as Axel Witsel is given his marching orders for a challenge on Mader. He lunged in, but it was far from excessively aggressive. How important could that decision be to the outcome of this match.
Two minutes added time.
HALF TIME: ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 0-0 AUSTRIA VIENNA
What an explosive end to the half! Up until that point, Zenit had enjoyed the majority of possession and had created some decent chances, but they failed to break the deadlock. Vienna looked threatening on the break, and they will really fancy their prospects now with the extra man.
That red card is likely to change the whole complexion of this match now. To be fair, despite a lack of goals, that was an entertaining opening 45 minutes. However, we could well see a totally different half of football when the players emerge from the tunnel. Are Zenit likely to revert to a defensive strategy? Will Vienna show some guts and go all out for the win? Intriguing stuff.
Remember, both of these teams lost their opening matches in the competition, so a victory for either tonight would be a huge boost to their chances of progressing.
The players are back out, and it will be Vienna to get us underway again.
The visitors have the first attempt at goal after the break as Suttner lashes a speculative effort well wide from about 30 yards.
If the first few minutes of this second half are to go by, Vienna are likely to make the extra man count. They've been comfortable in possession so far, with Mader having a tame shot saved.
SUBSTITUTION: Zenit make the first change of the match as Shirokov comes on for Shatov.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Vienna have the ball in the net but it won't count as the referee blows up for a foul on Zenit goalkeeper Lodigin following a cross.
A decent exchange of passes down the right allows Vienna to get a ball into the box, but it's an easy catch for Lodigin.
SAVE! Zenit almost make the breakthrough thanks to Danny, only for the playmaker's effort to be parried away by Lindner. We've seen some unorthodox goalkeeping tonight and that was no different. Meanwhile, Aniukov shanks his shot wide from the resulting corner.
SUBSTITUTION: The visitors now make their first swap of the contest as Royer is replaced by the young striker Murg. Royers looks to have been forced off with a slight knock.
An hour gone and it's still goalless between these two sides. However, if anyone looks likely to find the opening goal then it's Vienna. They definitely look keen to seize their chance considering that they have the extra man.
The ball falls to substitute Murg on the edge of the area, but the youngster's fierce effort flies well over the crossbar. He had time to take a touch and compose himself there.
Murg is involved yet again as he whips a wonderful cross into the area, though no one is there to convert. That was a fantastic delivery, the kind of thing that has been missing for both sides tonight.
SUBSTITUTION: A second change for Zenit here as Arshavin comes on for Kerzhakov. Can the former Arsenal man make a difference?
Credit to the Zenit fans: they have not stopped signing tonight. They are trying desperately to spur their side on, but it isn't doing the trick at the moment.
YELLOW CARD: Vienna forward Leovac is the latest player to go into the book, this time for hacking down Danny from behind.
YELLOW CARD: Another booking follows soon after as Zenit's Hubocan cynically takes down Hosiner.
YELLOW CARD: Now it's a third yellow card in as many minutes, with Ramsebner tripping Danny on the edge of the box.
CHANCE! The resulting free kick sees Hulk drill a powerful shot towards goal, but his effort goes narrowly wide of the post. That was incredibly close to creeping in the far post.
To be fair to Zenit, they haven't let their numerical disadvantage hamper their chances of getting a result out of this match. They're trying to attack with gusto, but the Vienna defence is currently standing firm.
Ten minutes left of normal time and we're no closer to a breakthrough goal. Are we in for some late drama?
SUBSTITUTION: Another change for Vienna as Leovac comes off for Okotie.
There's little to suggest that we're going to have a late goal from either of these sides. Zenit are definitely pushing harder to get a result, but they're looking toothless in attack.
SUBSTITUTION: A final change for Zenit has Criscito on for Anjukov.
Zenit get a late free kick in a great position, but Hulk's strike is too central and goes straight into the hands of Lindner. Either side of the goalkeeper and that could have spelled trouble for Vienna.
Three minutes added time.
FULL TIME: ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 0-0 AUSTRIA VIENNA
The full-time whistle goes and Austria Vienna have a very credible point, their first ever in the competition, thanks to a goalless draw with Zenit St Petersburg.
Anyway, that's all from me for now but don't forget that you can follow live text commentaries of all tonight's big games in the Champions League right here on Sports Mole. Thank you very much for your company and enjoy the rest of your evening. Goodnight!
Written by
Jack Prescott
Jack Prescott
