Galatasaray hope to scratch ten-year itch

Galatasaray AŞ go in search of a long overdue UEFA Champions League away win when they visit CFR 1907 Cluj on matchday four.

• The Turkish title holders have not won on their travels in the competition proper since September 2002, when they prevailed 2-0 at PFC Lokomotiv Moskva. Including their narrow 1-0 reverse at Manchester United FC in September, they have lost eight and drawn one of nine away games since then.

• The teams' 1-1 draw in Istanbul on 23 October pre-empted the departure of CFR coach Ioan Andone, who left the club by mutual consent 24 hours later. Paulo Sérgio has since taken over.

Match background
• CFR lost 2-1 to Manchester United in their first Group H fixture at the Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu but can take heart from 1-0 wins against FC Slovan Liberec and FC Basel 1893 in the qualifying rounds.

• This is CFR's first home encounter with Turkish opposition but Galatasaray have a long history against teams from Romania – and a disappointing record from previous visits to the country.

• Their continental debut came against FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the 1956/57 European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round, and ended in a 4-3 aggregate defeat after they lost the first leg 3-1 in Bucharest.

• Galatasaray went down 5-1 on aggregate to FC Steaua Bucureşti in the 1988/89 European Cup semi-finals. That Steaua side included Gheorghe Hagi, who went on to serve Galatasaray as player and coach.

• Galatasaray finally won in Romania at the sixth attempt on their most recent visit – 3-0 at Dinamo in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League group stage courtesy of goals from Harry Kewell, Shabani Nonda and Mehmet Topal. Gökhan Zan, Hakan Balta and Sabri Sarıoğlu all played.

• The visitors' overall record in Romania is W1 D1 L4.

Team ties
• Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim captained Turkey in a 1-1 friendly draw with Romania at the Ali Sami Yen on 29 January 1983 and also played on 9 March that year, in Targu Mures, with Romania winning 3-1. Terim took on Romania four times as a player, recording two draws and two defeats.

• Terim also failed to record a victory against Romania as Turkey coach. In August 2007 his side – including Hamit Altıntop, Gökhan and Sabri – lost 2-0 in Bucharest. In February 1995, during a previous spell in charge, Turkey were held 1-1 by Romania in Izmir.

• Semih Kaya, Umut Bulut, Altıntop and substitute Emre Çolak were in the Turkey side beaten 1-0 at home by Romania in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 12 October.

• Altıntop was in the FC Bayern München team that earned home and away victories over CFR in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Fernando Muslera played in Uruguay's 1-1 draw with Romania in Bucharest in February this year.

• Nordin Amrabat struck PSV Eindhoven's second goal in a 2-0 win at CFR in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• In that same group stage campaign, Pantelis Kapetanos scored in Steaua's 3-1 loss at Fenerbahçe SK. Kapetanos and Ionuţ Rada were in the Steaua team beaten home and away by Fenerbahçe and consigned to last place in their section.

• Kapetanos and Steaua lost home and away to Cris's Olympique Lyonnais in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• That same season Kapetanos had been an unused second-leg substitute when Steaua defeated a Galatasaray side including Hasan Şaş, now one of Terim's assistant coaches, and Hakan in the third qualifying round.

• Gökhan conceded a decisive late penalty and was sent off playing for Beşiktaş JK in a 2-1 loss at FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage.

• Eleven Romanian players have represented Galatasaray and two, Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu, were in the team that Terim led to the 2000 UEFA Cup, Turkey's first European club trophy. Hagi was sent off four minutes into extra time in the final against Arsenal FC, which his side won 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.