Partizan seek success against CSKA

FK Partizan have not met PFC CSKA Moskva before but their previous encounter with Russian opposition does not bode well.

Having lost 3-0 away and 2-0 at home in their only fixture with a Soviet club - FC Dynamo Kyiv in the 1976/77 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round - Partizan were drawn to play FC Spartak Mosvka in the 1999/00 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. Aleksandr Shirko and Andrei Tikhonov scored in Spartak's 2-0 first-leg win in Moscow and Shirko added two more in the return in Belgrade, with Yegor Titov scoring the other. Mateja Kezman claimed Partizan's consolation in a 3-1 home defeat.

Still, Partizan are unbeaten in their five UEFA Cup home games this season, scoring eleven goals and conceding only four in the process. CSKA, who have never played Serbo-Montenegrin opposition, began this season in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the group stage and only missing out on progress due to FC Porto's late winner against Chelsea FC.

However, CSKA have taken to their new campaign, defeating SL Benfica 3-1 in the Round of 32, a 2-0 home win followed by a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.