Racing gear up for City decider

Real Racing Club will be hoping that Manchester City FC will be in relaxed mood as the Spanish side seek a victory to earn them third place in Group A, at the expense of FC Schalke 04 and Paris Saint-Germain FC.

• City are already through, and drew 0-0 with PSG on Matchday 4 to leave Racing still very much in the running to join them in the Round of 32. The Santander side were not in action in the last round of games.

• Schalke are third in the section having ended their programme with four points. They are two points clear of both Real Racing Club and PSG, with the latter playing at home against qualified FC Twente on Matchday 5. A draw or a defeat against City would definitely see Racing knocked out of the competition.

• Should both PSG and Racing win, goal difference, then goals scored then goals scored away from home will decide who finishes third.

• Sides finishing third will be drawn against group winners from another section in the UEFA Cup Round of 32, and will play their first legs at home.

• This will be City's 50th game in UEFA club competition.

• Racing and City have never met before in UEFA club competition, and this will be Racing's first competitive game against an English side.

• City have played four games against Spanish sides with their record reading W1 D2 L1. Their two games in Spain have ended in a draw and a defeat, though the most recent of these matches was over 35 years ago.

• City's Martin Petrov played alongside Racing's Gonzalo Colsa, Juan Valera and Peter Luccin during his time at Club Atlético de Madrid.

• City's Javier Garrido (Real Sociedad de Fútbol), Pablo Zabaleta (RCD Espanyol) and Robinho (Real Madrid CF) also played domestic football in Spain.

• No side has ever scored more than one goal at Racing's El Sardinero Stadium in a UEFA competition game. Their four European home games so far have ended in two 1-0 wins, a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 defeat.

• City have won six of their last seven European away games, drawing the other.

• Racing's Pedro Munitis, Pablo Pinillos and Óscar Serrano are within a booking of a one-match ban.

• The draw for the UEFA Cup Round of 32 (when teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other) and Round of 16 will be held at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon on Friday 19 December at 13.00CET.