Zürich home in on surprise double

FC Zürich are already out of contention in Group C but the Swiss champions will be looking to round off their inaugural UEFA Champions League campaign with another notable result against AC Milan, who themselves need victory to make sure of a place in the first knockout round.

• Zürich pulled off one of the shocks of the group stage when Hannu Tihinen's early back-heel secured a memorable win at San Siro on Matchday 2, and Bernard Challandes's troops will be looking for a notable double at the Letzigrund stadium.

• That triumph in Milan gave Zürich their only points in Group C and they were confirmed in fourth position by a 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid CF on Matchday 5, their fourth reverse in this season's competition. Milan, meanwhile, possess eight points and will qualify if Olympique de Marseille fail to beat Madrid elsewhere in the section. Should Marseille win, Milan will also need victory to go through, but would then top the group.

Previous meetings
• Zürich's surprise success on Matchday 2 was payback of sorts for last season, when Milan beat the Swiss club home and away in the UEFA Cup first round. At San Siro, in the teams' first ever meeting, an own goal from Florian Stahel put the hosts in front and Pato and substitute Marco Borriello then extended the lead, before Dušan Djurić pulled a goal back. In the second leg, Andriy Shevchenko's 70th-minute strike completed a convincing Milan victory.

• The teams in Zurich on 2 October 2008 were:
Zürich: Leoni, Stahel, Barmettler, Tihinen, Stucki (Lampi 79), Aegerter, Tico, Djurić (Nikci 79), Abdi, Alphonse (Tahirović 82), Hassli.
Milan: Dida, Zambrotta, Bonera, Kaladze (Maldini 31), Antonini, Flamini, Emerson, Ambrosini (Kaká 61), Seedorf (Gattuso 76), Shevchenko, Ronaldinho.

Match background
• Zürich have lost both their home games in Group C so far and also lost the home leg of their third qualifying round tie with NK Maribor, going down 3-2 before prevailing 3-0 in Slovenia. They beat FK Ventspils 2-1 at home in the play-off round.

• In contrast, Milan have won both their away games in the section to maintain a healthy record on foreign soil in European competition. Before the start of the season, they had lost only three of their previous 15 away fixtures, including qualifying rounds, winning six and drawing six.

• Ahead of their celebrated San Siro trip, Zürich had prevailed in only one of six meetings with Italian opposition, a 3-0 home defeat of Empoli FC in the second leg of their 2007/08 UEFA Cup first-round tie.

• The Rossoneri's only other competitive meeting with a Swiss side came in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League first round, when Jean-Pierre Papin's strike at FC Aarau proved the only goal over two legs.

Team ties
• Johan Vonlanthen appeared as a late substitute for Switzerland in August's goalless friendly international against Italy in Basel. Gianluca Zambrotta and Andrea Pirlo were among the oppostition.

• Milan's Marek Jankulovski played for the Czech Republic in a 1-0 victory over a Swiss team featuring Vonlanthen in the opening fixture of UEFA EURO 2008™ in Basel.

• Vonlanthen plied his trade with Serie A side Brescia Calcio in 2005, appearing nine times.

• Jankulovski and Tihinen were on opposing teams in the Czech Republic's 4-3 defeat of Finland in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Teplice in March 2005.

• Tihinen also met Alessandro Nesta and Zambrotta as Finland twice went down 2-0 against Italy in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004™.

• Vonlanthen and Xavier Margairaz appeared for Switzerland in a November 2006 friendly in Basel against a Brazil team containing Ronaldinho. Brazil won 2-1.

• Pirlo and Zambrotta played in this stadium for Italy in a 1-1 draw with Romania during the UEFA EURO 2008™ group stage. Massimo Ambrosini came on as a second-half substitute.

• Djurić appeared as a late replacement when Sweden beat a United States team containing Oguchi Onyewu 1-0 in a friendly in Gothenburg in August 2007.

• Milan goalkeeper Dida spent a period on loan with Swiss outfit FC Lugano in 1999, but never played.