APOEL Nicosia s bid to create history and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League will be tested in Russia on Wednesday.
APOEL who are hoping to become the first Cypriot side to ever get past the first round of the competition will travel to Zenit St Petersburg as the top two sides in Group G clash.
APOEL have two wins and two draws from their four matches, giving them a tally of eight points, with Zenit trailing by just one point.
Given that Porto (four points) and Shakhtar Donetsk (two) have struggled so far, APOEL can seal qualification with a win at the Stadion Petrovskij, while three points for the hosts would mean that they could also qualify, pending on Porto s result.
Zenit enter the match full of confidence after a 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions which has seen them establish a three-point lead at the top of the Russian Premier League table.
Ailton Almeida (APOEL) and Roman Shirokov (Zenit) are two of the seven players tied in fourth spot on the Champions League scoring charts this season, with the pair each having netted three goals in the competition.
The other match in the group sees 2010-11 Europa League winners Porto travel to Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk, who won the same trophy in 2008-09.
Both sides have performed below-par in the competition so far and they will know that one more lacklustre effort could see them eliminated.
Despite topping the Liga Sagres table, Porto have not won in their past three matches in all competitions, with losses to APOEL and Academica (in the Taca de Portugal) sandwiched by a goalless draw at Olhanense.
Having lost Radamel Falcao who scored 37 goals for Porto last season to Atletico Madrid, Hulk has struggled to shoulder the responsibility of leading his side s attack, with just six goals in all competitions this season.
And they will not find it easy in Ukraine with Shakhtar having lost just one of their past nine matches at home in the Champions League.
Shakhtar have been in good form domestically, with four wins in a row sandwiched by a Champions League defeat to Zenit, and their clash with the reigning Portuguese champions is sure to be fascinating.
