Steaua aim to end drought in Istanbul

After a 1-0 victory in Bucharest on Matchday 3, Fenerbahçe SK will look to maintain their place at the top of UEFA Europa League Group H with another win against FC Steaua Bucureşti, who have yet to score in their first three games in the section.

Previous meetings
• The clubs met in the first round of the 1997/98 UEFA Cup, with Steaua – then as now under Mihai Stoichiţă – holding out after Tiberiu Csik's 49th-minute dismissal to secure a goalless draw before winning 2-1 against Otto Barić's men in Istanbul.

• The teams for the second leg in Istanbul on 30 September 1997 were:-
Fenerbahçe: Rüştü, İlker Yağcıoğlu, Okechukwu, Høgh, Kemalettin Şentürk (Selahattin Özbir, 70), Erol Bulut, Tayfun Korkut (Saffet Sancaklı, 58), Bolić, Okocha, Ilie, Saffet Akbaş (Taner Savut, 73).
Steaua: Ritli, Reghecampf, Miu, Matei, Răchită, Lăcătuş (Răducan, 78), Militaru (Baciu, 53), Ciocoiu (Nagy, 86), Şerban, Roşu, Munteanu.

• Striker Sabin Ilie, who had earlier played for Steaua, started for Fenerbahçe in that match.

Match background
• Aside from their previous meeting with Steaua, Fenerbahçe's two other home games against Romanian opposition ended in resounding wins: a 4-1 triumph against FC Petrolul Ploieşti in 1963 and a 5-1 victory over FC Argeş Piteşti ten years later.

• Steaua have yet to lose in three games in Turkey, drawing two away ties against Galatasaray AŞ – one in Izmir (1-1, 19 April 1989), one in Istanbul (2-2, 13 August 2008) – either side of their triumph at Fenerbahçe.

• Fenerbahçe have won only one of their last six European home games, a 5-1 trouncing of Budapest Honvéd FC in this season's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

• Steaua are unbeaten in four European away trips since a 3-0 loss at FC Bayern München in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage. They have recorded three victories and a draw on their travels in Europe this term.

Team facts
• German coach Christoph Daum returned from 1. FC Köln for a second spell at the Fenerbahçe helm this summer. Celebrated in Germany for earning three Bundesliga runners-up slots with Bayer 04 Leverkusen and two with Köln, he twice coached Fener's local rivals Beşiktaş before claiming two titles in his first spell at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium between 2003 and 2006.

• Daum's best European season to date came in his first spell as Köln coach, when his side reached the semi-finals of the 1989/90 UEFA Cup, losing out to eventual winners Juventus.

• Steaua became the first side to dismiss their coach after the start of the group stage, with owner George Becali sacking Italian trainer Cristiano Bergodi on the night of their 0-0 draw with FC Sheriff.

• His replacement, Stoichiţă, has returned to the club he led to the 1997/98 Romanian title. He has also coached PFC Litex Lovech, Panama, Armenia, Kuwait and most recently AEL Limassol FC in Cyprus.

• Stoichiţă also worked in Turkey with MKE Ankaragücü during the 2002/03 campaign.

• Fenerbahçe go into what will be their 160th continental fixture two shy of their 200th goal in UEFA club competition.

• Fenerbahçe's Bilica has previous experience of Romanian football, with the Brazilian midfielder having represented CFM Universitatea Cluj in the 2007/08 season.

• This is not the only game between Romanian and Turkish sides on Matchday 4 as FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti and Galatasaray AŞ will be locking horns in Group F.

• Steaua go into the fixture as one of three sides who have yet to score since the start of the group stage, along with PFC Levski Sofia and FC Timişoara.

• Fenerbahçe's Emre Belözoğlu was fouled more often than any other player in the competition over the first three matchdays – 15 times.

• Fenerbahçe's Ertuğrul Taşkıran turns 20 on the day of the match.

• Fenerbahçe visit Twente on Matchday 5, with Steaua travelling to Sheriff on the same day, 2 December.