Artem Dzyuba fires again as Zenit St Petersburg down Valencia

Artem Dzyuba joined Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Champions League scoring charts as Zenit St Petersburg cemented their place as winners of Group H with a convincing 2-0 win over 10-man Valencia.

Andre Villas-Boas' men were powerful and purposeful on the counter-attack throughout and took the lead on 15 minutes when Dzyuba slid the ball through to Oleg Shatov, who took a touch before dinking the ball calmly over Jaume Domenech.

Valencia, decimated by injuries, nevertheless had their moments. Paco Alcacer spurned several promising opportunities and the visitors were in the ascendancy when Zenit launched the break that won the game.

Danny initiated a slick one-two with Shatov before squaring the ball to Dzyuba, who tapped into an empty net to maintain Zenit's 100 per cent record in this season's Champions League and ensure that Valencia - who saw Ruben Vezo sent off in the closing minutes for a desperate foul on Shatov - still have much work to do to secure their own progression to the knockout stage.

13' - CHANCE! Hulk plays in a surging Criscito down the left and the Italian's cross is deflected and comes perilously close to looping in before being headed off the line.

15' - GOAL! Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 Valencia. The visitors get themselves in a muddle on a broken play and Dzyuba manages to play in Shatov, who takes a touch before dinking the ball coolly over Domenech.

30' - CHANCE! First spell of sustained Valencia pressure as a scuffed Gomes shot falls to teenage debutant Mir in the box, but Garay races across to block the youngster's shot.

44' - CHANCE! Parejo controls a dropping ball in the Zenit box beautifully before playing in Alcacer, but the striker scuffs his shot horribly and Smolnikov manages to clear.

55' - CHANCE! Hulk tries audaciously to whip a corner directly into Domenech's net but the Valencia goalkeeper reacts well to punch away.

59' - CHANCE! Hulk's delivery is good and Garay meets it with a firm header that loops a yard or two wide of the near post. Domenech was rooted.

67' - CHANCE! Valencia have the ball in the net as substitute Mina latches onto a Gomes pass and slots the ball under Lodygin, only to have his elation crushed by the assistant referee's flag. Replays show he wasn't far off...

74' - GOAL! Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 Valencia. Against the run of play Andre Villas-Boas' men make the game safe with a brilliant move. Danny initiates a slick one-two with Shatov before squaring the ball to Dzyuba, who taps his fifth Champions League goal of the season into an empty net. Quality goal.

80' - RED CARD! Things go from bad to worse for Valencia as Zenit counter at speed again and Vezo denies Shatov a clear goalscoring opportunity with a late tackle just outside the box. Svein Oddvar Moen duly shows him a straight red card.

90+2' - CHANCE! Zenit look like scoring whenever they surge forward now and Witsel jinks away from two Valencia defenders in the box before firing a tame shot left-footed straight at Domenech.

Zenit St Petersburg striker Artem Dzyuba is now tied with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Champions League scoring charts with five goals.

Rafa Mir has become the third youngest player to represent Valencia in the Champions League (after Aaron Niguez in 2006 and Javier Garrido in 2002)

Are Zenit a serious Champions League threat? Andre Villas-Boas is under considerable pressure in Russia. His Zenit side have won just eight of their first 16 league matches and are seven points adrift of leaders CSKA Moscow, yet they seem pretty good at forgetting their domestic troubles whenever Champions League matchdays roll around. So how good are Zenit? They have made light work of Group H but, in truth, it has mounted little resistance. Valencia are injury-ravaged and far from a happy ship under Nuno Espirito Santo, Gent are still finding their way at this level and a talented young Lyon side have been desperately disappointing.

Villas-Boas has found a nice balance between a physical, assured defence and a potent attack that makes the most of a revitalised Hulk, the imagination of Danny and a giant Artem Dzyuba in the scoring form of his life. It is a nice blend that could make Zenit a real headache for anyone they face in the knockout stage but, until they meet more gifted and settled opposition, the jury remains out.

Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg) Arguably the story of this season's Champions League, the 27-year-old is the focal point of a potent Zenit attack and on Tuesday he was at the heart of all his team's best work. On 15 minutes he demonstrated his quick-thinking to capitalise on confusion in the Valencia defence by playing in Oleg Shatov to score, and in the second half he was in the right place at the right time to cap a brilliant passing move with a simple tap in. In between he was dominant in the air and surprisingly adept on the floor, linking up well with Hulk, Danny and Shatov as Andre Villas-Boas' men countered quickly and intelligently. Five goals in five matches puts him level with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Champions League scoring charts and, on this form, such company doesn't flatter him.

Zenit St Petersburg: Lodygin 6, Smolnikov 7, Garay 7, Lombaerts 7, Criscito 7; Shatov 7, Neto 6, Witsel 7, Hulk 7; Danny 8; Dzyuba 9. Subs: Ryazantsev 6, Yusupov 5, Evseev 6.

Valencia: Domenech 6; Cancelo 5, Vezo 4, Abdennour 6, Gaya 5; Perez 5, Parejo 6, Gomes 6; Feghouli 6, Alcacer 5, Mir 6. Subs: Mina 7, Danilo 6, De Paul 6.