CSKA braced for Basel test

PFC CSKA Sofia hope their home form will serve them well as they look to get themselves off the foot of UEFA Europa League Group E with a win against Swiss visitors FC Basel 1893.

Previous meetings
• The two teams have never met before and this is Basel's first game against Bulgarian opposition. CSKA's two previous home matches against Swiss sides ended in a draw and a win.

Match background
• CSKA are unbeaten in nine European home outings in the four years since their 1-0 loss to Hamburger SV in the group stage of the 2005/06 UEFA Cup, on 20 October 2005.

• A 1-0 reverse at Fulham FC on Matchday 2 ended Basel's run of three straight victories in European away games this season, during which they had averaged three goals per match.

Team facts
• CSKA are coached by Luboslav Penev, who replaced his uncle – iconic ex-Bulgaria coach Dimitar Penev – in February. The 43-year-old former striker played alongside Hristo Stoichkov at CSKA in the late 1980s and went on to shine in Spain, representing Valencia CF and winning a Spanish domestic double with Club Atlético de Madrid in 1995/96.

• Basel changed coach this summer, with Christian Gross leaving after ten seasons to be replaced by former FC Bayern München midfielder Thorsten Fink. Fink started his coaching career with FC Salzburg's amateur side and took command at Basel following a spell in charge of German lower-league outfit FC Ingolstadt 04.

• CSKA's next goal will be their 300th in UEFA club competition, with this being their 199th continental fixture.

• Basel's Marco Streller goes into the game having been ruled offside six times in the opening two UEFA Europa League group stage fixtures. Only FC Timişoara's Gheorghe Bucur can match that unfortunate statistic.

• Streller and CSKA midfielder Ivan Stoyanov were team-mates at VfB Stuttgart from 2004 to 2006.

• Basel's Cabral celebrates his 21st birthday on the day of the match.

• First-choice Basel goalkeeper and team captain Franco Costanzo may miss the remainder of the group stage after undergoing surgery to resolve a long-term knee problem. "I've been playing in pain for over 18 months," the 29-year-old said.

• Switzerland and Bulgaria have met in eight senior internationals, with the former winning three, drawing three and losing two. Their most recent encounter was in February this year, a 1-1 draw in Geneva.

• CSKA coach Penev appeared in two of those meetings – a 3-2 UEFA European Championship home qualifying defeat for Bulgaria in 1991 and a 2-0 friendly triumph in Berne the following year.

• The two sides meet again in Switzerland on 5 November for Matchday 4, in what will be CSKA's 200th game in UEFA club competition.