Despite losing 1-0 away against defending Champion Zenit St. Petersburg Italy's last hope for European glory, Udinese, went through to the quarter finals of the 2008/09 UEFA Cup and will face Germany's Werder Bremen which dumped AC Milan from the competition.

Pasquale Marino's men had a commanding 2-0 lead to take to Russia courtesy of a late flourish in the home leg.

But Udinese still had a lot to do on a bitterly cold evening in Saint Petersburg against the holders.

The hosts had a limited squad at their disposal and only named four substitutes.

Marino picked Aleksandar Lukovic and Giovanni Pasquale from the start with Mauricio Isla on the bench.

As expected, Zenit made the early running and forced an early corner, which Danny headed just over the bar.

The Russians shouted for a penalty when Lukovic pushed Pavel Pogrebnyak in the box, but the referee wasn't interested.

Pogrebnyak's shot was blocked by Dias Felipe and Samir Handanovic made a good stop from Igor Denisov.

Zenit were nearly ahead from a corner but Lukovic cleared a header off the line.

On the counterattack Udinese nearly struck but Fabio Quagliarella nodded just over from an Antonio Di Natale cross.

Handanovic made a comfortable stop from a central strike from Anatoliy Tymoschuk.

Gaetano D'Agostino's free-kick was tipped away for a corner, which Vyacheslav Malafeev plucked from the air.

Zenit brought themselves back into the tie when they made it 1-0 just after the half-hour mark.

Udinese didn't defend a corner well and Tymoshcuk rose to head home a ball from the left.

It was nearly 2-0 when Viktor Fayzulin missed a golden chance by blazing over from close range.

Gyan Asamoah broke away and the ball broke off a defender to Quagliarella, but he couldn't keep his shot on target.

After the break, D'Agostino's cross/shot was deflected dangerously over his own bar by Igor Semshov.

Zenit then continued to push and Udinese were being pegged back in their own half.

Lukovic had to come off with a muscular problem to be replaced by Isla.

The Russians squandered some promising free-kicks and at the other end Quagliarella's effort was impressively saved by Malafeev.

Malafeev was alert again to deny Quagliarella from a corner taken by D'Agostino.

Asamoah hit a weak shot that was easily picked up by Malafeev and Simone Pepe's header was a whisker wide.

Zenit threw men forward with desperation but they couldn't break Udinese down and the Friulani progressed to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history.

Zenit St Petersburg: Malafeev; Sirl (Husztl 70), Tymoshcuk, Krizanac, Kim; Denisov, Semshov, Fayzulin (Tekke 70), Zyryanov; Danny, Pogrebnyak

Udinese: Handanovic; Lukovic (Isla 59), Zapata, Felipe, Pasquale; Inler, D'Agostino, Asamoah; Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale (Obodo 91)

Ref: Atkinson (Eng)

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