Austria face doomsday scenario

FK Austria Wien will look to avoid a seventh successive UEFA Cup group stage defeat as they hope to revive their Group H fortunes against Panionios GSS.

• Appearing in their third group stage campaign, Austria lost their opener 2-1 against FC Girondins de Bordeaux and then 3-0 at Helsingborgs IF on Matchday 3 to spark fears that they might end the group stage with no points for the second season in succession, having lost all of their games in the 2006/07 competition.

• Another defeat would end their chances of progressing, and leave them with a joyless trip to Galatasaray AS for their final game on 19 December.

• One of five Greek sides in the group stage, Panionios drew their opener 1-1 at Helsingborg before losing 3-0 at home to Galatasaray on Matchday 3. Wins against Austria and Bordeaux, in their final group outing, represent their only guaranteed route to qualification.

• The two sides have never met in UEFA club competition but Austria have met Greek opposition in one previous tie, taking on Panathinaikos FC in the first round of the 1982/83 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They won 2-0 at home but lost 2-1 in Athens.

• Panionios have never played against an Austrian side.

• Panionios coach Ewald Lienen played four games against Austrian sides as a player with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late 1970s, with his team winning three games and losing one. His trips to Austria netted his side a win and a defeat.

• A midfielder with Mönchengladbach in their 1970s prime, Lienen played in two UEFA Cup finals. He was a winner in 1978/79, beating FK Crvena Zvezda 2-1 on aggregate, but lost the following season's final on away goals to Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt.