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Champions League, Round of 16: Benfica, Zenit St. Petersburg meet again

Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters

In the 2011-12 Champions League, Benfica defeated Zenit St. Petersburg 4-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in six years.

When February and March come around, the two clubs will be battling it out once again with the same stakes.

Benfica and Zenit were pitted against each other at Monday's draw for the Champions League's Round of 16, setting up an enticing rematch that both teams will surely welcome given the alternative scenarios.

Player to watch

Hulk truly was a hulk in the group stage of the Champions League, using his combination of size and strength to tally three goals and four assists in five smashing appearances, while averaging 2.2 key passes per game and 2.3 shots per game.

He was, at time, seemingly unstoppable, literally shaking off opponents en route to goal before unleashing a 30-yard rocket.

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Zenit's hopes of progressing to the quarterfinals rest largely on Hulk's ability to dismantle Benfica over the course of 180 minutes.

Key matchup

Responsible, and soon to be bruised, for containing Hulk, will be none other than Andreas Samaris, Benfica's Greek defensive midfielder.

Samaris did a phenomenal job of breaking up attacks in the group stage of the Champions League, averaging 3.8 interceptions per game and 1.8 tackles per game. It will be up to him to maintain those averages by limiting Hulk's attacks on the right side of the pitch.

Schedule

  • First leg: Tuesday, Feb. 16 (Estadio da Luz)
  • Second leg: Wednesday, March 9 (Stadion Petrovskiy)

Club Reaction

Benfica: "It's going to be a difficult tie, but it is the same for both teams. Zenit are strong opponents who had an excellent group stage. They have players with great quality who have played together for several years." - Benfica manager Rui Vitoria

Zenit St. Petersburg: "We will play against a very experienced club who have got to two UEFA Europa League finals and two semifinals in the last five years. We know our opponents very well as we faced them in the UEFA Champions League last season. We understand we have to improve a lot in order to win." - Zenit manager Andre Villas-Boas

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