Newcastle strive for perfection

Newcastle United FC will end their Group H campaign with a flourish if they can earn a fourth successive UEFA Cup victory at the expense of Eintracht Frankfurt.

• The Premiership side confirmed their progress to the knockout rounds last week as a 2-1 home win against RC Celta de Vigo completed a run of three Group H triumphs. Glenn Roeder's men won at US Città di Palermo by the same margin on Matchday 2, having won their opener 1-0 at home against Fenerbahçe SK.

• Eintracht, meanwhile, lost 2-1 at home against Palermo on Matchday 1 before earning their only point to date with a 1-1 draw at Celta. Defeat against Newcastle would leave them with a mountain to climb to achieve qualification following their Matchday 5 game at Fenerbahçe.

• The two sides have never met in European competition.

• Newcastle's Australian defender Craig Moore spent time in the Bundesliga playing for VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach before moving to St James’s Park in the summer of 2005.

• Eintracht have played six games against English sides in the course of two two-legged UEFA Cup Winners' Cup ties and one two-legged UEFA Cup tie. They were eliminated each time but won two games in the process.

• Their overall record against English sides is two wins, one draw and three defeats.

• In Germany, they have won twice and drawn once against visitors from England, and are yet to taste defeat

• Newcastle have played four games against German opposition - a two-legged 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-final tie against TSV 1860 München and two 2002/03 UEFA Champions League group stage matches against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

• Their record is impressive. The Magpies have won all four games and scored three goals in each, although they have yet to keep a clean sheet against a German side.

• Celta take on Fenerbahçe in Matchday 4’s other Group H game on Thursday.