Zenit St Petersburg host top of the table Malaga in their Group C Champions League clash on Wednesday night as only victory can keep them in the competition.

While it’s a do-or-die affair for the Russian champions, the Spanish outfit need just a single point to secure their passage to the knock out stage with three wins from their four games so far.

Zenit lie bottom of the group, they still have a mathematical chance of joining them, but apart from their own performance the need other results to go their way.

“We have no choice but to beat Malaga,” Zenit coach Luciano Spalletti made it clear at a pre-match news conference.

While Zenit’s physical condition has improved recently – they sit third in the domestic league, the team’s psychology has been dealt a blow. Their game with Dynamo Moscow was suspended after St Pete fans hit opposing keeper Anton Shunin with a flare. The team is now facing a technical defeat.

"The psychological state of the team is very important at the moment, as the team have done a lot to save the position in the championship, which we have for now, and before the game with Dynamo. We won a lot of difficult games and we are on top of (the championship), in a fight for gold medals. For us it is a complex situation when the fate of three points is not decided on the field, but outside it," Spalletti said.

Malaga will be without first-choice goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, who was left behind in Spain after he suffered a bout of gastroenteritis just before the five-hour flight was due to leave for Russia.

The teams previously met in Spain in their opening group match when Malaga breezed past Zenit 3-0 to open their account in impressive style.

"We didn't expect that ahead of this game, we will have 10 points and first place in Group C. But at the same time we want to become first and receive first place in that group, for that we need one point. We want to play for the victory and play good in this game to improve our game, to be better than in previous games," Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

The kick-off is scheduled for 9 pm MOW, while in the other group game Anderlecht will host AC Milan.

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