Austria scent historic qualification

FK Austria Wien will look to take the final step towards a UEFA Champions League group stage debut when they host GNK Dinamo Zagreb.

• The Austrian title holders are strongly placed to progress after winning the first leg of the play-off tie 2-0 in Zagreb through goals from Marin Leovac (68) and Marko Stankovic (75) in a match where Krunoslav Jurčić's Dinamo lost substitute Ante Rukavina to a red card.

• The defeat proved the end for Jurčić, who was dismissed after the game. His assistant Damir Krznar will take charge of the side on a temporary basis until a permanent successor is found.

• Dinamo have reached the UEFA Champions League group stage four times, most recently in 2011/12 and 2012/13, but their hopes of a hat-trick of consecutive appearances rest on producing a dramatic turnaround in Austria, where they have never won.

Match background
• European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-finalists in 1979, Austria have never competed in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They lost in the third qualifying round to SL Benfica in 2006/07 and Olympique de Marseille in 2003/04. They also came close in the first two seasons of the revamped competition, losing second-round ties to Club Brugge KV in 1992/93 and FC Barcelona a year later.

• The Vienna club have not surrendered a two-goal lead in Europe for more than 50 years. The only time they let such a favourable position slip was in the 1960/61 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 2-0 at home but lost 5-0 in England.

• The Austrian club have progressed on the five occasions they won the first leg of a UEFA competition tie away from home – albeit they twice lost the second leg in Vienna, against K. Sint Truidense VV in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round (2-0 a, 1-2 h), and Galatasaray AŞ in the 1982/83 European Cup Winners' Cup second round (4-2 a, 0-1 h)

• Austria have yet to concede a goal in the current qualifying campaign, having beaten FH Hafnarfjördur 1-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round prior to their 2-0 success in Zagreb.

• However, Dinamo have won their last four UEFA Champions League away qualifiers, including handsome victories at CS Fola Esch (5-0) and FC Sheriff (3-0) this summer.

• The Croatian champions have overturned a two-goal deficit three times in UEFA competition but in each case when playing the second leg at home. The most recent example came in the 1977/78 UEFA Cup first round when they bounced back from a 3-1 defeat at Olympiacos FC with a 5-1 home victory.

• Dinamo's biggest ever comeback came en route to winning the 1966/67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup when they lost their semi-final first leg 3-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt but triumphed 4-0 in the return.

• On the three previous occasions they suffered a two-goal first-leg defeat in Zagreb, Dinamo went on to lose the tie – against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup second round (0-2 h, 1-1 a), VfB Stuttgart in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup second round (1-3 h, 1-1 a) and FC Schalke 04 in the 1969/70 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals (1-3 h, 0-1 a).

• Dinamo's record in Austria is W0 D3 L2. Their most recent trip was in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League qualifying round when they drew 1-1 at FC Salzburg before succumbing 2-1 at home. From the current squad, Sammir is the only survivor.

• Dinamo's only previous visit to Vienna brought a 0-0 draw with SK Rapid Wien in the 1971/72 UEFA Cup second round – a result that ensured their elimination on away goals following a 2-2 first-leg draw in Zagreb.

• Austria's only previous tie against Croatian opposition was a 2-2 aggregate draw with HNK Hajduk Split in the 1977/78 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals. Austria won on penalties en route to a a final defeat against RSC Anderlecht.

• Austria's record in penalty shoot-outs in UEFA competition is:
3-0 v HNK Hajduk Split, 1977/78 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals
5-4 v FC Dinamo Moskva, 1977/78 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals

• Dinamo's record is:
5-6 v FC Sheriff, 2010/11 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round

Team ties
• Austria's Croatian coach Nenad Bjelica appeared at UEFA EURO 2004, retiring from international football the same year having won nine caps.

• Bjelica played in an Austro-Croatian tie between NK Osijek and SK Rapid Wien in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup second round. He struck both goals in Osijek's 2-1 home win and another in a 2-0 away success.

• Austria's squad includes two Croatians in reserve goalkeeper Ivan Kardum and defender Kaja Rogulj. With NK Slaven Belupo (2008-11), Rogulj made six appearances against Dinamo, drawing one and losing five. Kardum, playing for Osijek (2006-11), lost all five of his games against the Zagreb outfit.

• With Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Junior Fernándes enjoyed success against Rapid Wien in last season's UEFA Europa League group stage, appearing in a 4-0 away victory and a 3-0 home triumph.

• Roman Kienast was an Austria substitute in their 1-0 defeat by Josip Šimunić’s Croatia in their opening group game at UEFA EURO 2008. Šimunić also featured when Croatia earned another 1-0 win over an Austria side including Manuel Ortlechner in a May 2010 friendly.

• Zvonko Pamić had a spell in Grazer AK's youth team.

• Austria defender Leovac holds dual Austrian and Croatian citizenship.