United playing catch-up at Oţelul

Manchester United FC will go in search of their first victory in Group C at the third attempt when they visit FC Oţelul Galaţi on matchday three.

• The last time United failed to win either of their first two games in a UEFA Champions League group phase was in 1998/99 when they ended up lifting the trophy for the first time under Sir Alex Ferguson. Then as now, they drew their opening two fixtures, including a 3-3 home draw with FC Barcelona – the same scoreline United had against FC Basel 1893 last time out.

• As for Oţelul, the tournament newcomers continue their quest to claim their first points in the competition, having lost narrowly at Basel (1-2) and at home against SL Benfica (0-1).

Match background
• After conceding four goals in their two fixtures so far, United will look to rediscover the defensive meanness they displayed on their travels last term – the eventual runners-up did not concede a single goal in 540 minutes of away action en route to the final.

• This is Oţelul's first encounter with a team from England while United have faced Romanian opposition only once before, beating FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round in 2004/05.

• Ryan Giggs scored United's opening goal in a 2-1 first-leg win on 11 August 2004 at Bucharest's old Lia Manoliu Stadium, on the same site that the new National Arena now stands. Darren Fletcher also played and, unlike Giggs, also featured in the return at Old Trafford where Alan Smith (2) and David Bellion's goals secured a 3-1 victory.

Team ties
• Oţelul may have no prior experience against English sides but their coach Dorinel Munteanu enjoyed two high-profile successes against England in his long playing career with Romania. He scored in a 3-2 success against England at UEFA EURO 2000 – a result that sent Romania into the quarter-finals at England's expense. Munteanu had earlier played in his country's 2-1 defeat of the English at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

• Munteanu played against Giggs in Romania's 5-1 defeat of Wales in a World Cup qualifier in May 1992. The pair met again when Romania prevailed 2-1 in the Cardiff return to qualify for the finals ahead of Wales.

• Oţelul's coach scored two goals for 1. FC Köln in an 8-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur FC in a UEFA Intertoto Cup tie in July 1995.

• Sir Alex visited Romania with Aberdeen FC in the 1981/82 UEFA Cup second round, earning a 2-2 draw – and with it a 5-2 aggregate win – against the club now called FC 2005 SA Arges.

• Chris Smalling hit an 83rd-minute winner for England as they claimed a 2-1 home victory against a Romania side including Ionuţ Neagu and Cornel Râpă in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off match in Norwich on 8 October 2010. Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck were also in the England team who earned a 0-0 draw in the second leg in Botosani, where Râpă again featured and Neagu was an unused substitute.

• Patrice Evra played at the new National Arena in France's goalless draw with Romania in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier on 6 September.

• Dimitar Berbatov scored for Tottenham in a 3-1 home win against Dinamo Bucureşti in the UEFA Cup group stage in December 2006.

• Sorin Frunză played for FC Unirea Urziceni in their home (0-1) and away (1-3) defeats by Liverpool FC in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 32.