Benfica 1-0 Zenit St Petersburg

Jonas has scored 45 goals in 56 games for Benfica since signing from Valencia in 2014

An injury-time header from Jonas gave Benfica a 1-0 lead to take to Zenit St Petersburg for the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

The Brazil striker nodded in a Nicolas Gaitan free-kick to give the Portuguese champions a slender advantage.

Jonas's 25th goal of the season came after Zenit defender Domenico Criscito was sent off for a second booking.

Benfica were the better side in the second half against a Zenit team that had not played for 10 weeks.

Zenit's last competitive fixture was their final group game in the competition on 9 December and Andre Villas-Boas' side looked short of their best following the winter break.

Domenico Criscito has been capped 22 times by Italy

The Russian champions failed to create a serious chance but looked like going into the return leg as marginal favourites until Criscito committed a foul on Andre Almeida to concede the decisive free-kick.

Criscito is one of four players who will now miss the second leg on 9 March through suspension, with team-mate Javi Garcia and the Benfica pair of Almedia and Jardel also banned after picking up yellow cards.

Benfica, who last reached the quarter-finalists in 2012, struggled to force a breakthrough, although they should have gone ahead in the 69th-minute.

Argentine playmaker Gaitan cleverly made space for a shot but couldn't beat goalkeeper Yuro Lodygin and defender Jardel also shot wide following a corner before the predatory Jonas proved the difference.

What they said

Zenit St-Petersburg coach Andre Villas-Boas: "We were solid and wanted to keep the result as it was. We looked to be on track for the second leg. Unfortunately from the set-play we conceded.

"It's going to be a different game now. We will have to attack more and create more chances because we didn't create as much as we wanted.

"But at 1-0, the tie is still open."