Beşiktaş hope for happier trip

Beşiktaş JK will have unhappy memories of their previous trip to the Romanian capital as they take on FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti in a UEFA Cup Group B game.

• The two sides have never met in European competition.

• This is Dinamo's first game in the UEFA Cup group stage this season.

• Beşiktaş lost their opening fixture 2-0 at home against Tottenham Hotspur FC.

• Veterans of 148 games in European competition (60 wins, 23 draws and 65 defeats), Dinamo have played four games against Turkish opposition.

• They took on Boluspor in the first round of the 1974/75 UEFA Cup, winning 3-0 at home and 1-0 away, and met Trabzonspor in the first round of the 1994/95 UEFA Cup, drawing 3-3 in Bucharest and losing 2-1 in Turkey.

• Beşiktaş, meanwhile, have played three of their 113 European games (34 wins, 24 draws and 53 defeats) against Romanian opponents – all of them in the UEFA Cup.

• They were drawn against FC Brasov in the first round of the 1974/75 UEFA Cup, winning the home leg 2-0 with goals from Sinan Alayoğlu and Özan Tezcan.

• The second leg was to prove something of a calamity, however. It was goalless until the 86th minute, when Petru Kadar scored what looked like a consolation for Brasov. However, Gheorghe Serbanoiu scored twice in the closing minutes to win the game 3-0 and the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

• The Istanbul giants visited the Romanian capital for the first time in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage, taking on Dinamo's neighbours FC Steaua Bucuresti.

• Adrian Neaga and Cristian Ciocoiu put the home side into a quick 2-0 lead before İbrahim Akin scored a late consolation.

• Current squad members Ramazan Kursunlu, İbrahim Üzülmez, Mustafa Doğan, Ali Güneş, İbrahim Toraman and goalscorer Akin were all on the teamsheet on that occasion.

• Tottenham take on Club Brugge KV in Matchday 2's other Group B game.