Slovan Bratislava v BATE background

ŠK Slovan Bratislava will hope Slovakian sides' good form against Belarusian opponents will hold as they take on seasoned group stage campaigners FC BATE Borisov in the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

Previous meetings
• none.

Form guide
• This is Slovan's first encounter with Belarusian opposition and BATE's first meeting with a Slovak club. Slovakia's teams have dominated the previous eight games between sides from these countries in UEFA club competition with the record W6 D2 L0 (W4 D0 L0 at home – W2 D2 L0 in Belarus).

• Slovan are unbeaten in four European matches this season (W3 D1) during which they have conceded just once; BATE have gone six games without a European away victory (D1 L5) since a 3-1 win at LOSC Lille in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• BATE have made it to the UEFA Champions League group stage three times: in 2008/09, 2011/12 and 2012/13, and have also played in the UEFA Europa League group stage three times, something Slovan have done once: in 2011/12.

Links and trivia
• Slovan's Czech coach František Straka has already successfully led one team into the UEFA Champions League group phase, his AC Sparta Praha getting past APOEL FC and Ferencvárosi TC to play in the 2004/05 competition proper.

• BATE striker Vitali Rodionov is the most prolific scorer for a Belarusian club in the history of UEFA competitions with 18 goals to his name. His nearest rival, former BATE team-mate Renan Bressan, scored 12.

• The most experienced European campaigner in the Slovan squad, forward Juraj Halenár, appeared for Petržalka – then known as FC Artmedia Bratislava – in their 2005/06 UEFA Champions League campaign.

• An attendance record was set at the Borisov Arena in BATE's third qualifying round decider against Debreceni VSC on 5 August, with 12,788 watching the 3-1 triumph. Prior to that result, BATE had gone 11 games without a European win (D3 L8) since a sensational 3-1 victory over FC Bayern München on 2 October 2012.