Udinese plot double blow for Braga's Peseiro

Udinese Calcio are hoping history repeats itself in more ways than one when they tackle SC Braga in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off at the Stadio Friuli.

• The only other time Udinese qualified for the UEFA Champions League came with a second-leg home victory over Portuguese opposition, Sporting Clube de Portugal, in 2005/06 and then as now José Peseiro was the coach in the away dugout.

• Francesco Guidolin's Udinese will fancy their chances of completing qualification after earning a 1-1 first-leg draw in Portugal, where Dušan Basta gave them a first-half lead. However, Ismaily's stunning equaliser revived the hopes of a Braga side eager to secure their own second group stage appearance after their debut in 2010/11.

Match background
• At this identical stage 12 months ago Udinese's UEFA Champions League ambitions ended with a home defeat by Arsenal FC but they subsequently went five games unbeaten at the Stadio Friuli in the UEFA Europa League, recording three victories and two draws.

• Braga can draw similar encouragement from their away record in last season's UEFA Europe League, where they earned two wins and three draws.

• The Portuguese team won their only previous UEFA Champions League play-off against Sevilla FC two summers ago under coach Domingos Paciência, embarking on a journey that led eventually to the 2011 UEFA Europa League final.

• Braga can take heart too from a 100% record against Italian opposition in two-legged ties – both in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup. They beat AC Chievo Verona 3-2 on aggregate in the first round, winning 2-0 at home then scoring a decisive third goal in extra time of the second leg through Wender after Chievo had levelled the aggregate scores. Braga subsequently overcame Parma FC with successive 1-0 victories in the round of 32 – both thanks to late goals.

• There was also late drama on Braga's third visit to Italy as they succumbed 1-0 to AC Milan thanks to Ronaldinho's last-gasp strike in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage. Alan and Paulo César featured in that match.

• Serse Cosmi was at the Udinese helm for their aforementioned triumph over Peseiro's Sporting in the 2005/06 third qualifying round – a 1-0 win in Lisbon and a 3-2 home success. The only survivor of those ties in Udinese's UEFA Champions League squad is Antonio Di Natale.

Team ties
• Hugo Viana helped Valencia CF eliminate FC Internazionale Milano from the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in 2006/07. He faced AS Roma too in that season's group stage in a 1-0 defeat in Rome and his experience also includes games against Juventus and Inter in the 2002/03 competition as a Newcastle United FC player – he came up against Udinese's Giovanni Pasquale when Inter won 4-1 at Newcastle in the second group stage.

• Quim played in both legs of SL Benfica's 2008/09 UEFA Cup first-round tie against SCC Napoli – a 3-2 loss in Italy and 2-0 home win – while Ruben Amorim featured as a second-leg substitute. Quim also faced Milan with the Eagles in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage, losing 2-1 away before a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.

• Custódio was in the Sporting side beaten 1-0 at Inter in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions group stage.

• Alan played against Inter for FC Porto in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage, winning 2-0 at home before losing 2-1 in Milan.

• Mossoró and Danilo were team-mates at Paulista FC in Brazil in 2004/05.