Malmo host Zenit St Petersburg in Group H of the UEFA Champions League with only a place in the Europa League left to play for. Malmo have been the whipping boys of the group and are likely to find things difficult against Zenit.
Malmo have not been able to transmit their domestic dominance into the Champions League. They are two points clear at the top of the Swedish League and are currently on a six-match unbeaten run.
It is contrasting fortunes in the Champions League for Malmo, who have been poor in Group H. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men have lost all four of their matches so far and were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in their previous fixture.
Malmo have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats in the Champions League, including a 4-0 loss to Zenit St Petersburg in the reverse fixture. They are also yet to register a goal after four matches in the competition.
Like Malmo, Zenit St Petersburg are also dominating domestically and++ hold a six point lead at the top of the Russian Premier League table. They prepared for Tuesday’s clash with a 5-1 victory over Nizhny Novgorod on Saturday.
In the Champions League, Zenit St Petersburg have fared only slightly better than their hosts with their only victory a 4-0 triumph in the reverse fixture. They also pushed Juventus close last time out in the competition before falling to a 4-2 defeat.
Zenit St Petersburg are unlikely to progress to the knockout stage of the Champions League and sit six points behind second place Chelsea. However, they have a big chance of qualifying for the Europa League and can book a place in the second-tier competition with a win on Tuesday.
How the bookies view it
Zenit St Petersburg have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 21/20 by Unibet to claim the win. A victory for Malmo is priced at 43/15 with Vbet while a draw is set at odds of 27/10 with BetVictor.
Head to head
The only previous meeting between Malmo and Zenit St Petersburg was the reverse fixture which the Russians won 4-0.
Players to watch
Artem Dzyuba often leads the line for Zenit St Petersburg and netted a hat-trick in their Russian Premier League fixture last Saturday. Unibet has the striker at odds of 11/8 to score anytime on Tuesday.
Zenit St Petersburg kept a clean sheet in the reverse fixture and with Malmo struggling in attack, will be targeting a repeat. Dejan Lovren is usually a mainstay at the back for the Russians and can help the team to another clean sheet at 9/4 with Skybet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Zenit St Petersburg won to nil in the reverse fixture and could be set for a repeat at 14/5 with Unibet. Having won 4-0 in that fixture, the Russians could also be tipped in the -1 handicap market at 11/4 with Paddy Power.
Given Malmo’s attacking problems, Zenit St Petersburg could be picked as the only team to score at 14/5 with William Hill.
This UEFA Champions League match between Malmo and Zenit St Petersburg will be played on Nov 23, 2021 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Malmo vs Zenit St Petersburg prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.