Zenit Saint-Petersburg, having spent 50 million euros to strengthen the team's composition, just barely beat a mediocre French team. AJ Auxerre isn't a star team but it plays uncompromisingly and well. Last season Auxerre was named the country's most disciplined team. They can build their defense and keep a low profile. Playing with such closed teams it is important to score a goal as early as it possible, and Zenit managed it. Five minutes into the match they put through a combination with Gubochan and Lazovich and Kerzhakov's header. 1:0 and it seemed that Zenit could succeed and win the home game. But the French started to suppress Zenit's attacks and at the end of the first half tried to attack but the ball hit the post. All in all the game was equal. Roman Shirokov lost Zenit a chance to score. Auxerre could have avoided defeat. As a result, the minimal victory of the Russian team enlarges its chance of getting through to the Champion's League regular season. Dinamo Kiev will feel more nervous after the game with AFC Ajax, and it has nothing to do with the 1:1 draw. Ajax showed a more mature, circumspect and organised game. In the 57th minute of the match Denis Garmash, already booked, slammed into Jan Vertonghen and left his team one man down. Vertonghen opened the score with the resulting penalty. The Dinamo players looked disspirited and Ajax was ruling the pitch. Yet Dinamo managed to score when Oleg Gusev played one-on-one with the Ajax goalkeeper. Ajax was closer to victory but lost several chances to score. Nevertheless, the score draw allows the Dutch team to continue playing in the Champion's League. BSC Young Boys beat Tottenham Hotspur 3:2 . In the 28th minute of the match, the Young Boys were leading 3:0. Spurs' second goal in the 83rd minute was scored by Tottenham's Russian legionnaire, Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Georgy Saralidze specially for VK
