Zenit St. Petersburg took a step toward the Champions League group stage on Tuesday after Alexander Kerzhakov scored in a 1-0 win over Auxerre in the first leg of their playoff.
Kerzhakov found the net in the third minute with a glancing header from six yards that bounced past goalkeeper Olivier Sorin.
Auxerre came close to scoring when Kenyan midfielder Dennis Oliech struck the crossbar from the edge of the box just before halftime.
Zenit dominated the first half but was unable to convert several chances. In a more even second half, Auxerre could have leveled but Polish striker Ireneusz Jelen lobbed the ball over the top after latching onto a long pass.
The second leg is Aug. 25 in France.
Auxerre proved slow and ineffective in the opening half hour, the visitors' plodding attacks broken up easily by Zenit's back four. Last-gasp defending saved Auxerre in the 26th, when Cedric Hengbart hoofed a cross clear with Danko Lazovic lurking unmarked behind him.
In the 30th minute, Roman Shirokov diverted a cross from Alexander Anyukov over the bar after Sorin had failed to claim the ball. Argentine forward Danny sliced a volley wide from the resulting corner.
Sorin atoned 10 minutes later, punching Kerzhakov's thunderous free kick over the crossbar.
Auxerre's first chance of the half fell to Anthony Le Tallec in the 40th, but Vyacheslav Malafeyev raced out of his goal to smother the Frenchman's shot.
After Auxerre's Oliech struck the bar, Kerzhakov missed a chance to double the lead by shooting on the turn straight at the goalkeeper.
Zenit began the second half in the same vein, with Danny and Kerzhakov combining down the right flank with a series of delicate lobbed passes. Sorin blocked Shirokov's shot when the cross came in.
Auxerre skewed two long shots in a row before Jelen's miss over the onrushing Malafeyev - and the crossbar.
In the 57th minute, Jelen brought down a chip over the defense but struck a half-volley straight at Malafeyev at the near post. Auxerre showed more attacking steel in the latter stages but never seriously threatened again.
