Partizan hoping to derail Standard express

FK Partizan know that their UEFA Cup future may be in doubt if they fail to secure a result against an R. Standard de Liège side still on a high after a 1-0 Matchday 2 win against Sevilla FC.

• Partizan can ill afford another defeat after losing their opening two group fixtures to UC Sampdoria and VfB Stuttgart. Standard, meanwhile, kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win against Sevilla on Matchday 2.

• A win for Standard would most likely help them gain progression to the knockout stages. Only once in the history of the UEFA Cup group stage has a total of six points not been enough to qualify, with Rangers FC missing out in the 2004/05 edition of the competition.

• This is Partizan and Standard's first meeting in UEFA club compeititon.

• Partizan have never met Belgian opponents before in Europe, while this will also be Standard's first game against a Serbian side.

• Partizan's well-travelled coach Slaviša Jokanović will also be in his first tie against a Belgian team.

• Standard's Romanian coach László Bölöni is unlikely to have forgotten his only meeting with Partizan. It was the final European fixture of his time as coach of Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• Bölöni's Sporting lost 3-1 in the home leg in Lisbon and drew 3-3 in Belgrade to bow out of 2002/03 UEFA Cup in the first round.

• Standard boast Serbian talent in the form of striker Milan Jovanović who, like Partizan coach Jokanović, started his top-flight career at FK Vojvodina. He played for FC Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and Russian Premier-Liga side FC Lokomotiv Moskva before joining Standard.

• Partizan's Portuguese midfielder Amlani Moreira spent five seasons with Standard between 2001 and 2006, though he joined Hamburger SV on loan for the 2004/05 campaign.

• Partizan have not won in their last four home games in the group stage. Their only home win in the UEFA Cup group stage to date came as they beat Egaleo FC 4-0 in their opening fixture of the 2004/05 competition.

• Standard, meanwhile, have won only one of their last eleven European away games.

• Partizan's Ivan Obradović is suspended after picking up three bookings while his team-mates Juca and Srdjan Knežević are both within a yellow card of a one-game ban, as is Standard's Dante Bonfim.

• Sampdoria host Stuttgart in Matchday 3's other Group C tie; Sevilla are the only side in the section not in action.