In-form Sevilla host Villas-Boas' injury hit Zenit

Sevilla host Zenit on Thursday at the Sánchez Pizjuán in the Europa League quarter-finals. The Russian club is currently ranked 14th among European teams – Sevilla are rated 25th -- and remains the last side to pull off a league and Uefa Cup double, in 2008. However, the Russian Premier League leaders have some significant absences following their tough encounter with Torino in the previous round. Zenit coach Andre Villas-Boas will be without defenders Igor Smolnikov and Domenico Criscito, captain Danny and star striker Hulk in Sevilla. The Brazilian international has scored four goals in four Europa League games since Zenit dropped out of the Champions League into the second-tier tournament.

Sevilla, meanwhile, are undefeated at home in 13 months and have the morale-boosting 2-2 draw with Barcelona last weekend fresh in their minds. Optimism abounds at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but prudence also. Despite Zenit's injury list, Sevilla will be acutely aware that taking a cushion into the return leg at the Petrovsky Stadium is of vital importance.

The widely admired Villas-Boas has eliminated Sevilla from the competition before, at the helm of eventual champions Porto in 2011. The former Chelsea and Tottenham coach arrived at Zenit a year ago in place of Luciano Spalletti. With the Russian league firmly in Zenit's control, Villas-Boas is credited with bringing stability to a club that while not short of cash, has sometimes taken too many gambles. The Zenit midfield is a brick wall comprised of Alex Witsel and Javi García, and Sevilla will try and combat it with Vicente Iborra and Grzegorz Krychowiak, who last weekend reached 34.82 km/h in a race with Leo Messi that ended with the Argentina captain being hustled off the ball.

Unlike last season, when Sevilla were out of the running for the Champions League places via the league and instead placed their emphasis on European competition, Unai Emery's side are looking from right to left and finding the prize remains the same: the Champions League. But there is plenty of room for error in the remaining two months of the season. Beto is almost fit to return but Sergio Rico has made the goal his own domain. Otherwise, Emery can spring plenty of surprises: whether to play Aleix Vidal or José Reyes, Carlos Bacca or Kevin Gameiro, Ever Banega or Stéphane Mbia.

The Sevilla coach experiences matches in the same way his team plays, at full speed and he knows there is no alternative as the seasons reaches the business end. Sevilla have recently been stoking the engines. Now it is time to see how far they can get.

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