Salzburg juggernaut rolls into Spain

Villarreal CF cannot catch Group G winners FC Salzburg but they can ensure the Austrian side do not finish the inaugural UEFA Europa League group stage with maximum points on Matchday 6.

• Both teams are already safely through to the last 32, with Salzburg seeded for Friday's round of 32 draw as the top oufit in the section.

Previous meetings
• Salzburg triumphed 2-0 at home as the sides met for the first time on Matchday 2, in what was Villarreal's first game against Austrian opponents. Salzburg have lost all three of their previous matches in Spain, scoring one goal and conceding seven.

Match background
• This is Salzburg's first appearance in any group phase since they competed in the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League, finishing third in their section. Villarreal played in two UEFA Cup group stages, reaching the quarter-finals in 2004/05 and the round of 32 in 2007/08.

• Villarreal are unbeaten in 12 European home games since a 2-1 UEFA Intertoto Cup loss to NK Maribor on 15 July 2006. They have won all three of their European matches at El Madrigal this term.

• Some 20 games – and over eleven years – have passed since Salzburg last drew an away game in Europe, having recorded a 2-2 stalemate at FC Twente on 18 July 1998. They have won six of the last eight of those away ties.

Team facts
• Salzburg are coached by former Netherlands defender Huub Stevens, who won the UEFA Cup as FC Schalke 04 coach in 1997. Salzburg are the third club in as many seasons for Stevens, who spent the last two campaigns in charge of Hamburger SV and then PSV Eindhoven.

• Stevens' record in eleven previous matches as a coach against Spanish clubs is W4 D2 L5. His showing in four games against Liga opponents as a player reads W2 D1 L1.

• Having won the Greek title with Olympiacos FC last season, Ernesto Valverde took over at Villarreal this summer after his predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, became Real Madrid CF boss. The former RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Athletic Club winger was nicknamed 'Txingurri' (The Ant in Basque) for his modest stature and prodigious work-rate.

• Valverde lost UEFA Cup finals on penalties as both a player and a coach with Espanyol – in 1988 (v Bayer 04 Leverkusen) and 2007 (v Sevilla FC).

• Villarreal's 2-0 Matchday 5 win at PFC Levski Sofia matched their largest margin of victory in a UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League away game.

• Salzburg are the only side in the UEFA Europa League with a 100 per cent record going into the final set of group-stage fixtures, having won all five of their pool games to date.

• SL Benfica, Salzburg and FC Shakhtar Donetsk share the best defensive record in the competition so far, having conceded just two goals in the group stage.