APOEL v København background

København are in prime position to settle an old score with APOEL as the teams reconvene for the return leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off.

Previous meetings
• Ivan Jovanović's APOEL eliminated Ståle Solbakken's FCK in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League play-offs. Zdeněk Pospěch scored the only goal as FCK won in Copenhagen, but Kamil Kosowski (2) and Chrysostomos Michail (18pen 41) struck in a 3-1 home victory for APOEL in the second leg.

• However, FCK have the edge going into the final instalment of this tie after a 1-0 first-leg victory on 16 August. Andrija Pavlović rounded Boy Waterman two minutes before half-time, giving København a slender advantage to protect in Cyprus.  

• Current APOEL men Nektarios Alexandrou and Nuno Morais played in both legs of the 2009/10 tie; Mikael Antonsson, Mathias Jørgensen and William Kvist featured in the matches for FCK, while Thomas Delaney was an unused substitute in the second leg.

• FCK's only previous games against Cypriot opponents were in that tie; APOEL's record in nine encounters with Danish sides is W3 D1 L5 (W2 D0 L2 at home – W1 D1 L3 in Denmark).

• APOEL eliminated another Danish club – Aalborg – in the 2014/15 play-offs and overcame Midtjylland on away goals in last season's third qualifying round.

Match background
• FCK defeated Crusaders and Astra Giurgiu to reach this stage.

• FCK have won only one of their five UEFA Champions League play-off ties, ousting Rosenborg on away goals in 2010/11. They have lost to APOEL (2009/10), Viktoria Plzeň (2011/12), LOSC Lille (2012/13) and Bayer Leverkusen (2014/15).

• APOEL eliminated The New Saints and Rosenborg in the second and third qualifying rounds respectively; they have won both of their European home games this season 3-0.

• APOEL won their first three play-off ties before being beaten by Astana at this stage last term.

Team and coach links
• Former APOEL striker Aílton was signed from FCK in summer 2010 and would go on to lead the Legend to the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Coach profiles
• APOEL's Thomas Christiansen was raised in Copenhagen and represented FCK's rivals Brøndby as a youngster prior to being picked up by Barcelona. Capped twice by Spain – his mother's home country – he also played in Greece and Germany, and joined APOEL after a two-year spell in charge of AEK Larnaca.

• Former Norway midfielder Solbakken has won six Danish titles in the course of two stints as FCK coach. Hired for a second time in August 2013, he picked up Danish championships with Aalborg and FCK as a player. FCK coach from 2006 to 2011, he tried his luck elsewhere with Köln and Wolverhampton Wanderers before returning to Copenhagen.