United bid for Russian first against CSKA

Manchester United FC will look for an elusive first home victory over Russian opposition when PFC CSKA Moskva visit Old Trafford on matchday four.

• The 1-1 draw between the sides in Moscow means they are tied on four points in Group B, two points behind leaders Wolfsburg.

Previous meetings
• It was on 21 October 2009 that the clubs met for the first time in Moscow, where United's Antonio Valencia scored the only goal after 86 minutes.

• Valencia got a 92nd-minute equaliser as United came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 and preserve an eight-year unbeaten European home record when the teams reconvened at Old Trafford. Vasili Berezutski and Alan Dzagoev were among the scorers for CSKA, who had Deividas Šemberas sent off.

• It was the second match as CSKA coach for Leonid Slutski, who led them to second place in the group behind United.

• The lineups that evening in Manchester on 3 November 2009 were:
Man United: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Evans, Fábio (Evra 59), Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani (Rooney 58), Macheda (Obertan 82), Owen.
CSKA: Akinfeev, A Berezutski, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov, Krasić, Šemberas, Aldonin, Mamaev (Rahimić 70), Dzagoev (Carvalho 72), Necid (Piliev 85).

Match background

Manchester United
• United are still seeking a first home win against Russian opposition, following three draws. They were held at Old Trafford in UEFA Cup first-round defeats by both FC Torpedo Moskva (0-0 in 1992/93) and SC Rotor Volgograd (2-2 in 1995/96).

• Overall they have won only one of eight matches, home and away, against Russian opposition – that 2009 win at CSKA.

• United are unbeaten in their last seven home fixtures in UEFA competition (six wins, one draw). This includes victories over Club Brugge KV (3-1) in August's play-off round and Wolfsburg (2-1) on matchday two.

• Rooney is the only survivor of United's 2-1 defeat by FC Zenit in the 2008 UEFA Super Cup.

CSKA
• On 5 November last year CSKA earned their first win on English soil when beating Manchester City FC 2-1 through a Seydou Doumbia double. That victory came precisely 12 months to the day since a 5-2 defeat at City in the 2013/14 group stage, when Doumbia also scored twice.

• Slutski's men have had mixed fortunes on the road in this season's competition. They won at AC Sparta Praha (3-2) in the third qualifying round, lost at Sporting Clube de Portugal (1-2) in the play-offs and then went down to Wolfsburg (0-1) in their opening group fixture.

• Igor Akinfeev, Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei Berezutski played in CSKA's first visit to England, a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea FC on 20 October 2004.

• Their overall record in England is W1 D3 L2.

Coach and player links
• As a Sparta Rotterdam player, Louis van Gaal suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat to FC Spartak Moskva in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup third round.

• As a coach Van Gaal beat FC Lokomotiv Moskva with FC Barcelona in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League first group stage (3-1 a, 1-0 h); with AZ Alkmaar he overcame PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara on away goals in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup first round (3-5 a, 3-1 h) and drew 1-1 at Zenit in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.

• Zoran Tošić made five substitute appearances for United from 2009–10.

• Ashley Young played in Aston Villa FC's 1-1 home draw with CSKA in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 32 – but did not feature in the second-leg defeat in Moscow.

• Matteo Darmian lost home (0-3) and away (1-3) to CSKA with US Città di Palermo in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Marcos Rojo spent 2011/12 with Spartak Moskva.

• In June 2005, Bastian Schweinsteiger scored twice in a 2-2 draw between Germany and a Russia side including the Berezutski brothers. Schweinsteiger played in FC Bayern München's home wins over CSKA in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

• Marouane Fellaini was in the Belgium side that earned a 1-0 victory over the Russia of Vasili Berezutski, Akinfeev and Ignashevich at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

• Rooney scored in Moscow for England but finished on the losing side as a Russia side including the Berezutskis and Ignashevich won 2-1 in a UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier.

• Players who have played together:
Pontus Wernbloom & Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, 2009–11)

Match facts

Manchester United
• United have drawn their last three games 0-0 – their longest such run since 2005. They also drew the one preceding that: 1-1 with CSKA.

• United are 325 minutes without a goal, since Anthony Martial's header on matchday three.

• The Red Devils lost to lower-division opposition in the English League Cup for the second season in succession on 28 October, succumbing 3-1 on penalties to Middlesbrough FC in the fourth round after a goalless 120 minutes at Old Trafford.

• Rooney (saved), Michael Carrick (missed) and Young (saved) failed from the spot in that shoot-out.

• James Wilson made his first start of the season against Middlesbrough but was replaced by Rooney at half-time.

• United will hold a testimonial match for Rooney, who joined United in 2004, on 3 August 2016.

• Luke Shaw sustained a double fracture to his right leg in a tackle by PSV's Héctor Moreno on matchday one.

CSKA
• CSKA are ten games unbeaten (W7 D3) since matchday one and a club record 21 undefeated in the Russian Premier-Liga. Their last league loss was a 1-0 reverse at FC Amkar Perm on 13 April.

• Tošić scored the decisive goal four minutes from time as the capital outfit overcame FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast 2-1 at home on 28 October to reach the Russian Cup quarter-finals. He was on target again in Saturday's 2-0 win at home to FC Ufa.

• CSKA failed to score six penalties this season before Sergei Ignashevich converted the opener from the spot on Saturday.

• Bibras Natcho (out since 4 October, head injury) made his return in the cup tie.

• Akinfeev has conceded a goal in each of his last 34 UEFA Champions League appearances, qualifying included. His last clean sheet in the competition came when CSKA drew 0-0 at Arsenal FC on 1 November 2006.

• Slutski celebrated six years as a CSKA coach on 26 October.

• Vasili Berezutski is still sidelined with the muscle injury he sustained on matchday three.