FCSB v Sporting CP: play-off facts and stats

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, history would suggest this UEFA Champions League play-off decider is a done deal: FCSB have yet to lose at home against Portuguese opponents and Sporting CP have lost all three of their previous games in Romania. 

Previous meetings
• The first leg was the clubs' first meeting in UEFA competition.

• FCSB have won only one of their previous seven games against clubs from Portugal, beating Rio Ave 2-1 in Bucharest in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League group stage. However, they are also unbeaten in three home games against Liga sides (W1 D2).

• Sporting have lost all three of their previous away games in Romania without scoring: 2-0 at FC Timişoara in 1990, 2-0 at FC Dinamo 1948 in 1991 and, most recently, 1-0 at FC Vaslui in 2011.

Match background
• FCSB are unbeaten in four UEFA home games (W1 D3), but have not kept a clean sheet during that run – a concern given that a scoring draw against Sporting CP would spell elimination.

• Sporting have lost their last four European away games.

• The Romanian club reached the play-offs with a 6-3 aggregate win against FC Viktoria Plzeň of the Czech Republic, following up a 2-2 home draw with a 4-1 away win.

• FCSB are attempting to reach the group stage for the eighth time, and the first since 2013/14.

• The Bucharest side's record in the UEFA Champions League play-offs is W1 L2. They beat Legia Warszawa on away goals in 2013/14 but lost to PFC Ludogorets Razgrad on penalties the following year and went down 6-0 on aggregate to Manchester City FC in 2016/17.

• In 2016/17, FCSB went on to finish fourth in their UEFA Europa League group.

• FCSB qualified for the UEFA Champions League after finishing second in last season's Romanian top flight.

• Sporting are aiming to reach the group stage for the third time in four years.

• The Lisbon side have lost both their previous UEFA Champions League play-offs – against ACF Fiorentina in 2009/10 and PFC CSKA Moskva in 2015/16.

• In 2016/17, Sporting finished fourth in their group behind Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid CF and Legia Warszawa.

• Sporting qualified by coming third in the Portuguese Liga in 2016/17.

FCSB and Sporting have László Bölöni in common©Getty Images

Team and coach links
• Romanian László Bölöni, a member of FC Steaua București's 1986 European Cup-winning side, coached Sporting to their most recent league title success, in 2001/02. The Lions also landed the Portuguese Cup and domestic Super Cup during his two-season tenure.

• FCSB boast Portuguese talent in the form of Paris-born Filipe Teixeira.

• Júnior Morais spent a season and a half with Portuguese lower-league outfit SC Freamunde before moving to Romania in January 2011.

Coach profiles
• Appointed in June, having guided SCM Pitești to promotion to the Romanian second tier in the 2016/17 season, former attacking midfielder Nicolae Dică won league titles as a player with Steaua and CFR 1907 Cluj. The 37-year-old represented Romania on 32 occasions, scoring nine goals, featuring in all three of their matches at UEFA EURO 2008. He was voted Romanian player of the year in 2006.

• A losing UEFA Europa League finalist with SL Benfica in 2013 and 2014, Jorge Jesus unexpectedly left the Eagles for fierce local rivals Sporting in summer 2015. The 63-year-old had started his playing career at Sporting – where his father Virgolino had also been a player – and had coached Benfica since 2009.

Penalty shoot-outs
• FCSB's record in UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W4 L1:
5-6 v PFC Ludogorets 1945, 2014/15 UEFA Champions League play-offs
4-2 v AFC Ajax, 2012/13 UEFA Europa League round of 32
4-3 v Grasshopper Club Zürich, 2010/11 UEFA Europa League play-offs
4-3 v Valencia CF, 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 32
2-0 v FC Barcelona, 1985/86 European Champion Clubs' Cup final

• Sporting have lost both of their previous UEFA penalty shoot-outs:
3-5 v FC Dinamo Minsk, 1984/85 UEFA Cup second round
3-4 v SSC Napoli, 1989/90 UEFA Cup first round