Panathinaikos in need of positive Rubin result

Panathinaikos FC have only won two of their last eight UEFA Champions League home games and as they strive to improve their position at the foot of Group D, they will be hoping to make it three with the visit of FC Rubin Kazan.

• On Matchday 2 there was disappointment for the home side in Athens, FC København scoring two first-half goals to consign the Greens to their second defeat. The opener came from old boy Dame N'Doye who spent 2007/08 with the Greek champions and to add to their frustrations, Panathinaikos had captain Gilberto Silva dismissed in the 48th minute after collecting a second yellow card.

• Panathinaikos had lost 5-1 at a Lionel Messi-inspired FC Barcelona in their first match, despite opening the scoring through Sidney Govou.

• Rubin, in their second UEFA Champions League campaign, once again proved a tough nut for Barcelona to crack on Matchday 2, holding the 2009 winners to a 1-1 draw in Russia with Christian Noboa and David Villa swapping penalties in either half. Two weeks before Rubin had gone down 1-0 at København.

Previous meetings
• This is not only the first time that the sides have met but the first time Rubin have faced a team from Greece in European football.

• Panathinaikos have had one previous encounter with Russian opposition – a 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage match against FC Lokomotiv Moskva in Athens which they won 2-0. Dimitris Salpigidis scored twice in five minutes midway through the second half.

Match background
• Panathinaikos, who are back in the UEFA Champions League proper after missing out last season, experienced all three possible outcomes in their three home games in the 2008/09 group stage. A 1-0 home win against Anorthosis Famagusta FC secured their place at the top of the group ahead of FC Internazionale Milano to qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time in seven years. They had also lost 2-0 at home to Inter before a 2-2 draw against SV Werder Bremen.

• The Greens' run came to an end in the round of 16 when they followed a 1-1 draw at Villarreal CF with a 2-1 home defeat. In their previous participation, 2005/06, they had again recorded one win, one draw and one defeat in their three home games. Of their last eight home UEFA Champions League games, qualifying not included, they have won only two, losing four.

• Rubin's 2-1 win at Barcelona was their only victory in last season's group stage. They lost 3-1 at FC Dynamo Kyiv and 2-0 at Inter while all three home fixtures were drawn.

Team ties
• Giourkas Seitaridis joined FC Dinamo Moskva from FC Porto in the summer of 2005. He stayed for 18 months, playing in eight league games.

• Giorgos Karagounis and Obafemi Martins were team-mates with FC Internazionale Milano between 2003 and 2005.