Zenit St Petersburg kept alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at home to Benfica.

The result also saw the Portuguese side exit the competition at the group stage for the third consecutive season.

The only goal of the game came on 79 minutes when Zenit captain Danny found the net with a first-time finish from inside the penalty area.

Benfica's night went from bad to worse in stoppage time as their skipper Luisao was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the individual performances of those involved in the match in Russia.

ZENIT

Goal

Yuri Lodygin: Zenit's goalkeeper had a couple of moments where he looked far from convincing, though he had little to do for the majority of the game. (6/10)

Defence

Aleksandr Anyukov: Played his part in the home side's dogged defence, particularly in the second half. Was lucky not to get booked in the opening 45 minutes for a poor challenge. (6/10)

Domenico Criscito: Lacked discipline on a couple of occasions as Benfica piled on the pressure, but had a solid game overall. (7/10)

Nicolas Lombaerts: Looked composed at the back before he was forced off with a leg strain midway through the first half. (6/10)

Ezequiel Garay: Dealt well with Benfica's slippery attack, making a handful of blocks and tackles that kept the visitors at bay. (7/10)

Midfield

Hulk: A typically-inconsistent display from the Brazilian, who started well before drifting in and out of the game. Showed good vision to set up Danny for the winning goal. (6/10)

Javi Garcia: Did a decent job of anchoring the Zenit midfield before a hamstring injury saw him exit the action on the hour. (6/10)

Axel Witsel: Zenit's pitbull in central areas scrapped all match, providing the home side with plenty of tenacity and drive. (7/10)

Danny: Led by example for the hosts as he patrolled the midfield to good effect while also getting forward when needed. Capped a fine performance by netting the winning goal. (8/10)

Attack

Aleksandr Ryazantsev: Disappointed in the supporting role behind the striker. Struggled to make an impact high up the pitch. (5/10)

Jose Rondon: Worked hard as the lone striker, though a lack of service saw him isolated for large parts of the game. (6/10)

Substitutes

Luis Neto: Replaced Lombaerts early on and picked up a booking almost instantly. Recovered after that with a competent showing at the back. (6/10)

Oleg Shatov: Made Zenit a more dangerous proposition when he was introduced in the second half as he tried to take on the Benfica defence and make something happen. (7/10)

Viktor Fayzulin: Found it difficult to get involved in the game when he came on for Garcia with around 30 minutes left. (5/10)

BENFICA

Goal

Julio Cesar: Kept out a couple of early chances for Zenit, but was a spectator for most of the match. Could do little about Danny's goal late on. (6/10)

Defence

Maxi Pereira: Defended solidly when Benfica were on the back foot and also offered the visitors a good attacking outlet down the right. (7/10)

Luisao: Not the best of nights for the captain, who missed a glorious chance midway through the second half before getting himself sent off in stoppage time. (5/10)

Jardel: Needed to be alert on a handful of occasions when Zenit tried to pick their way through the Benfica defence. Looked the more reliable of the away side's two centre-backs. (6/10)

Andre Almeida: Similar to Maxi Pereira, Benfica's other full-back showed good enthusiasm to get up and down the left wing. (7/10)

Midfield

Enzo Perez: Caused Zenit plenty of problems throughout the game with his dynamic running and tricky footwork. (7/10)

Andreas Samaris: Kept the midfield ticking along nicely for the away side thanks to his measured passing and good vision. (7/10)

Talisca: Showed excellent pace with some runs that made life difficult for Zenit, but he dropped off before being replaced in the second half. (6/10)

Attack

Eduardo Salvio: Made the right flank his own thanks to a blend of clever movement and pure pace. Almost put the visitors 1-0 up in the first half, only to be denied by Lodygin at the back post. (7/10)

Lima: Usually a target man to be feared, Lima's disappointing season continued with an unremarkable showing up front. His lack of involvement was symptomatic of Benfica's lack of teeth up top. (5/10)

Nicolas Gaitan: An underwhelming evening for Gaitain, who is often a key member of the away team's attack. His only meaningful moment came at the start of the second half when he blasted the ball high and wide on the angle. (6/10)

Substitutes

Derley: Came on with around 20 minutes remaining, but his contribution was a largely forgettable one. (5/10)

Ola John: Was introduced shortly after Zenit scored as Benfica tried desperately to pick themselves up, though he failed to get them firing. (5/10)