Shakhtar Donetsk v Rapid Wien background

Shakhtar Donetsk have one foot in the UEFA Champions League group stage as they welcome Rapid Wien, with the Ukrainian side a goal to the good in the play-off tie.

Previous meetings
• Marlos scored the only goal for Shakhtar in Austria as the sides met for the first time in the opening leg of this tie.

Form guide
• Shakhtar have won both of their previous home games against Austrian opponents.

• Rapid's record in five away matches against Ukrainian teams is W1 D0 L4; that lone win was a 4-2 success against Dynamo Kyiv in qualifying for the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League, in which current coach Zoran Barisic featured as a midfielder.

• Rapid last participated in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2005/06. They have caused a stir this term by overcoming Ajax to make it to the play-offs.

• Shakhtar have not missed a UEFA Champions League group stage campaign since 2009/10, when they lost to Romania's Timişoara in the third qualifying round.

Links and trivia
• Shakhtar's record in their five European 'home' games at the Arena Lviv is W2 D2 L1, with Athletic Club (1-0 in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage) the only visitors to beat the Pitmen at their temporary European base.

• Rapid's 3-2 triumph at Ajax in this month's third qualifying round ended a four-match (D1 L3) winless streak on the road in Europe.

• Shakhtar's Marlos and Taison were in the Metalist Kharkiv side that defeated Rapid 2-0 at home in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage before losing 1-0 in Austria. They came up against current Rapid players Thomas Schrammel, Mario Sonnleitner, Deni Alar and Steffen Hofmann.

• The second leg of the Rapid tie falls the day after Shakhtar forward Olexandr Gladkiy's 28th birthday.

• Shakhtar boss Mircea Lucescu signed off as Romania coach with a 4-0 home win against Austria in September 1986.

• Lucescu previously coached another Rapid – Rapid Bucureşti – in two spells (1997–98 and 1999–2000).