PSV have history against them at Wolfsburg

PSV Eindhoven will go in search of a first victory in Germany for almost 40 years when they visit VfL Wolfsburg for the first ever meeting between these Group B rivals.

• The Dutch side have not won any of their last 14 away matches against Bundesliga sides, a sequence stretching back to 1977, although they did win the 1988 European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Germany, albeit on penalties.

• For both clubs, this is an opportunity to bounce back from defeat last time out in the UEFA Champions League – Wolfsburg having lost 2-1 at Manchester United FC while PSV fell 3-2 at PFC CSKA Moskva.

Match background

Wolfsburg
• Dieter Hecking's team began their home campaign in Group B with a 1-0 win against CSKA.

• The Bundesliga club are unbeaten against Dutch opposition, with their previous home games against Eredivisie sides both bringing wins – 1-0 against Roda JC in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup second round, and 5-1 against sc Heerenveen in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage.

• Diego Benaglio and Marcel Schäfer are the only survivors of that 2008 success against Heerenveen.

PSV
• Like Wolfsburg, Phillip Cocu's men have three points in Group B thanks to a victory on matchday one – 2-1 at home against Manchester United.

• They are seeking their club's first victory away to a German side since winning 2-1 at TSV Eintracht Braunschweig in the 1977/78 UEFA Cup third round.

• It remains their only win in 17 trips to face Bundesliga opposition (W1 D4 L12), although PSV did lift the European Cup on German soil after beating SL Benfica on penalties in the 1988 final in Stuttgart.

• PSV have won one and lost eight of their last ten away matches in the UEFA Champions League proper.

Coach and player links
• Cocu was in the PSV side that beat SV Werder Bremen 2-1 on aggregate in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup third round. He was also in the last PSV side to visit Germany in the UEFA Champions League – for a 3-0 group stage loss at FC Schalke 04 in November 2005.

• Overall Cocu played five times in Germany in UEFA's club competitions as a player and won once – 2-1 at Bayer 04 Leverkusen with FC Barcelona in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League.

• Bas Dost played for Heracles Almelo (2008–10) and Heerenveen (2010–12) in the Eredivisie and appeared in nine games against PSV (W0 D1 L8). When he scored against PSV in a 2-2 draw with Heerenveen in April 2011, Luciano Narsingh provided the assist.

• Neither Luuk de Jong (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 2012–14) nor Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburger SV 2011–13) managed to beat Wolfsburg during their spells in the Bundesliga. Andrés Guardado also played in Germany with Leverkusen (2014).

• Maxime Lestienne scored his first goal in UEFA club competition in Germany, netting for Club Brugge KV in a 2-1 loss at Hannover 96 in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• André Schürrle was a substitute for Germany in the 2-1 group stage defeat of Denmark that sent Simon Poulsen and Nicklas Bendtner home from UEFA EURO 2012.

Players who have played together:
• Dost & Jeffrey Bruma, Jetro Willems, Stijn Schaars, Davy Pröpper, Adam Maher, Narsingh and De Jong (Netherlands)
De Jong & Max Kruse (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 2013/14)
Dost & Narsingh (Heerenveen 2010–12)
Bendtner & Poulsen (Denmark)
Koen Casteels & Lestienne (Belgium Under-21)
Josuha Guilavogui & Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (France Under-21)

Match facts

Wolfsburg
• Wolfsburg ended a four-match winless run by beating TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 4-2 on Saturday.

• The Wolves are 27 Bundesliga fixtures unbeaten at home since a 6-1 loss to FC Bayern München on 8 March 2014.

• Robin Knoche was ruled out for four weeks after suffering an ankle injury on 18 September.

• Vieirinha came off the bench on Saturday after missing seven matches with a thigh injury.

• Bendtner has scored eight goals for Wolfsburg since joining the club in summer 2014 – all have come as a substitute.

PSV
• Santiago Arias serves a one-game ban on matchday three. 

• PSV's two defeats in all competitions this season have come away from home.

• Gastón Pereiro scored twice in a 2-1 triumph at AFC Ajax, his first start for PSV, on 4 October.

• Jeroen Zoet made his debut for the Netherlands in their 2-1 UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying victory against Kazakhstan, coming on with nine minutes left for Tim Krul, who was himself drafted into the starting XI when Jasper Cillessen was injured in the warm-up.

• Zoet kept his place for the 3-2 home defeat by Czech Republic on 13 October, a result that confirmed the Netherlands will miss their first EURO finals since 1984.

• On 8 October, Florian Jozefzoon, who has been sidelined since damaging his right knee ligaments in January, extended his contract until the summer of 2017.

• De Jong came off the bench in Saturday's 1-1 draw with SBV Excelsior having been out with an ankle injury sustained against NEC Nijmegan on 26 September.

• Jetro Willems has yet to play this season having sustained a left knee ligament injury on 14 July.