Group D winners Zenit are bidding to make it six victories from as many games at AZ, who would make sure of joining their opponents in the last 32 should they prevail instead.
Having already won Group D, Zenit are looking to round off a perfect campaign away to an AZ Alkmaar side who know they can guarantee progress by picking up the three points themselves.
• Zenit, who have clinched first place, can join the list of seven teams who have won all six matches in a UEFA Europa League group stage.
• AZ have five points, one more than both Dundalk and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Dutch side are through if they win, if they draw and the other game is also drawn, or if they lose and the other game ends 0-0.
Previous meetings
• Zenit thrashed AZ 5-0 in Russia on matchday two – the joint heaviest European loss in the Dutch team’s history.
• Ari’s sending-off for the visitors helped Dick Advocaat’s Zenit fight back to hold Louis van Gaal’s AZ to a 1-1 draw in Russia in the clubs’ only other meeting, in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.
Chapecoense commemoration
Teams taking part in all of the matchday six UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League fixtures will observe a minute’s silence to pay respect to the victims of last week’s air disaster involving the Chapecoense team and accompanying delegation.
The Brazilian club lost most of their players and coaching staff in the accident, which occurred in Colombia, where Chapecoense were due to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional.
“European football is united in expressing its deepest sympathy to Chapecoense, the Brazilian Football Confederation [CBF], CONMEBOL and the families of all the victims,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. “This tragedy has shaken the world of football, and we would like to send our support to all of those affected by it.”
