Half-Time Report: Sevilla behind against Zenit St Petersburg

Sevilla are succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Zenit St Petersburg in this evening's Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

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The hosts were quickest off the starting blocks as Jose Antonio Reyes fired over the bar from a fifth-minute free kick.

Zenit picked themselves up as the game went on and threatened on a number of occasions, most notably through Alexander Anyukov and Aleksandr Ryazantsev.

Andre Villas-Boas's charges eventually broke the deadlock when Ryazantsev charged into the box on the half-hour mark and lashed an effort from a tight angle past goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

Sevilla set about trying to level proceedings but, save for tentative efforts from Kevin Gameiro and Vicente Iborra, there was little to threaten the Russians by the half-time whistle.