København cautious for Rubin visit
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Article summary
FC Rubin Kazan's victory at FC Barcelona last season marked them out as a side capable of great feats so FC København have reason to be wary for the sides' Matchday 1 meeting.
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FC København and FC Rubin Kazan, who are each kicking off their second UEFA Champions League campaigns, come face to face on the opening night of Group D action.
• The champions of Denmark and Russia – who both successfully defended the titles they had claimed the previous year – have won a place at Europe's top table on one previous occasion. The Russian side first featured 12 months ago in a memorable debut campaign in which they produced a remarkable 2-1 win at holders FC Barcelona, the Spanish giants who are again in the same section as the Russian team. Rubin followed that with a goalless draw in the return to enhance their reputation as a surprise package in last year's competition.
• København were previously involved in 2006/07, when they finished bottom of Group F with seven points.
Previous meetings
• The teams have never met before and only København have faced opposition from the other's country. In three meetings they have registered two wins – both away from home – against FC Moskva in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup first round, and FC Lokomotiv Moskva in the previous season's UEFA Cup group stage. Their only home fixture – the return leg against Moskva – ended 1-1.
Match background
• FCK reached this stage with an away-goals triumph in the play-offs against Rosenborg BK after the aggregate scores finished 2-2. The Danish side won the second leg in Copenhagen 1-0 thanks to Sölvi Ottesen's header, thus putting paid to the Norwegian team's 31-match unbeaten run in 2010.
• It was another tight affair in the third qualifying round as FC BATE Borisov were defeated 3-2 in the Danish capital after the first leg had ended 0-0.
• The Camp Nou triumph was the highlight for Rubin of their debut UEFA Champions League season and their only victory. Their other two away games – against FC Dynamo Kyiv (1-3) and FC Internazionale Milano (0-2) – both ended in defeat while all three home fixtures were drawn. Switching to the UEFA Europa League they then drew 0-0 at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, winning 3-0 on aggregate, and lost 2-1 at VfL Wolfsburg for a 3-2 overall defeat.
• In their 2006/07 UEFA Champions League campaign København lost two of their first three games, drawing 0-0 at home to SL Benfica, and failed to find the net until Matchday 4 when they beat Manchester United FC 1-0 in Copenhagen. They went on to win their final home match, 3-1 against Celtic FC, but lost out to Benfica for third position and a UEFA Cup place.
• In last season's UEFA Europa League, København won two and drew the other of their home games in the group stage but in the round of 32 a 3-1 defeat in the home leg against Olympique Marseille paved the way for a 6-2 loss overall.
Team ties
• Rubin defender Oleg Kuzmin played against København for Moskva in that 2008/09 UEFA Cup first round tie.
• Rubin newcomer Carlos Eduardo (2007) and København striker César Santin (in 2002) have both played for Brazilian side Grêmio Foot-ball Porto Alegrense.