Memilih di Rusia Pelatih Bayer Michael Skibbe mengaku memilih bermain leg pertama di Rusia, terlebih ketika Zenit menunjukkan betapa hebatnya mereka ketika mengatasi kekalahan 1-3 di Marseille dengan mengalahkan tim Prancis itu 2-0 di St Petersburg sehingga unggul selisih angka.
Bayer coach Michael Skibbe confessed that he would have preferred to have played the first leg in Russia, especially as Zenit showed what a force they are in their lair by overturning a 3-1 deficit from the first leg in Marseille by beating the French side 2-0 in St Petersburg to win on the away goal rule.