Petrović's Litex love affair

Triumph in Bari
The well-travelled Serbo-Montenegrin, who lifted the European Cup in 1990/91 after his FK Crvena Zvezda side beat Olympique de Marseille in a penalty shoot-out in Bari, has gone to the Ukraine in search of a second Group D success following Litex's 2-1 home win against Grasshopper-Club on 3 November.

Comings and goings
The 58-year-old has earned plenty of silverware in a career which has seen him coach on three continents. Twice in charge of PFC Levski Sofia, claiming a Bulgarian title in 2001, he has had a similarly convoluted relationship with Litex.

'A job to finish'
First appointed in January 2004, Petrović led Litex to Bulgarian Cup glory in 2003/04 before briefly going home to take the reins at Crvena Zvezda. However, he returned to Litex this year, telling uefa.com: "I am back because I owe the club a lot and I have a job to finish."

Daunting target
Petrović was set the daunting target of reaching the UEFA Cup group stage, something he achieved thanks to a 3-2 aggregate victory over Belgian team KRC Genk in the first round. Litex, who had overcome Croatia's HNK Rijeka in their qualifying tie, were held 2-2 at home before winning 1-0 away in accordance with Petrović's philosophy.

Simple philosophy
"I have a philosophy regarding European competition," he said. "In two-legged games the most important thing is not to lose at home and if possible not to concede any goals. If you keep a clean sheet, you can always win the tie. If you avoid defeat at home, you always have a chance of progressing."

Different plan
But when it comes to the group stage, Petrović's approach is quite different. "We were at home for our first match against Grasshoppers and knew we had to win," he said. "A home victory is key to keeping your hopes and spirit alive. And we got exactly that with our 2-1 win."

Dnipro strengths
As the Dnipro game looms, Petrović says his team is full of confidence. "We have a chance to go through and that gives us extra energy and motivation," he said. "We have watched a lot of Dnipro's matches. They are very strong at set-pieces, so for the last week we've worked on them.

Subzero temperatures
"The Ukrainians are a very strong as a team," he added. "They have had some problems in their domestic league, but have now turned the corner. We must avoid defeat to keep our chances alive. I know we will be playing in subzero temperatures, but we must be prepared for that."

Famous coaches
Success against Dnipro would set the tone for a fascinating home tie against AZ Alkmaar on 30 November, pitting Petrović against another European Cup-winning coach in Louis van Gaal - a UEFA Champions League winner with AFC Ajax in 1994/95.

Lovech danger
Petrović might not have the European profile of his AZ counterpart, but with the Serbo-Montenegrin's simple philosophy and a Litex side bursting with confidence, Van Gaal is unlikely to be relishing the trip to Lovech.