Background: BATE v Slovan Bratislava

FC BATE Borisov will hope to make their European experience count as they bring ŠK Slovan Bratislava to Belarus for the concluding leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off.

Previous meetings
• The teams had never met prior to their 1-1 draw in the first leg in Slovakia.

Form guide
• This is Slovan's first tie against Belarusian opponents and BATE's first home meeting with a Slovak club. Ahead of the first leg, Slovakian sides had dominated the previous eight games between teams from these nations in UEFA club competition with the record W6 D2 L0 (W4 D0 L0 at home – W2 D2 L0 in Belarus).

• Slovan are bidding to become the first Slovak side since MŠK Žilina in 2010/11 to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage.

• BATE have reached 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 twice, something Slovan have done just once, in 2011/12.

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

• BATE striker Vitali Rodionov is the most prolific scorer for a Belarusian club in the history of UEFA club 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, played 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 win. Prior to that game, BATE had gone 11 games without a European win (D3 L8) since a sensational 3-1 victory against FC Bayern München on 2 October 2012.