Steaua and Liverpool eye last-32 places

FC Steaua Bucureşti will look to make it to the round of 32 for the first time since the 2006/07 UEFA Cup as Liverpool FC come to Bucharest in Group K looking for the point that will confirm their UEFA Europa League progress.

• Steaua will go through along with Liverpool if the home side win and FC Utrecht draw at home against SSC Napoli. Liverpool will progress if they avoid defeat.

Previous meetings
• Two second-half goals from David Ngog and another for Lucas saw Liverpool pull away to secure a 4-1 win when the sides met at Anfield for the second time on Matchday 1.

• The clubs met in the second round of the 2003/04 UEFA Cup, with Gérard Houllier's Reds progressing after a Harry Kewell goal gave them a 1-0 win at Anfield, following a 1-1 draw against Victor Piţurcă's men in Bucharest.

• The sides for that draw in the Romanian capital on 6 November 2003 were:
Steaua: Khomutovski, Dumitru, Răchita, Rădoi, Stoica, Aliuţă (Neaga, 73), Bostina (Pitu, 62), Răducanu, Nana Falemi, Opriţa (Neşu, 85), Mutica.
Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypiä, Kewell, Diouf (Le Tallec, 57), Murphy, Gerrard, Riise, Traoré, Bišćan.

• Liverpool skipper Gerrard is the only player still at either club who played in that fixture.

Match background
• Steaua have not lost in three Group K games since their trip to Anfield, picking up a win and two draws. They have also gone four games unbeaten at home in UEFA club competition, though two of those matches ended in draws.

• Liverpool are unbeaten in nine games since their 1-0 loss at Club Atlético de Madrid in last season's UEFA Europa League semi-final. That run includes two wins and two draws away from home, in which they have conceded just once.

Team facts
• Six of Liverpool's seven group stage goals have been scored in the second half, with five of them coming after the 76th minute.

• Marius Lăcătuş is in his third stint as Steaua coach, having replaced Ilie Dumitrescu on 26 September. The 46-year-old former Romania forward is the club's most successful player, having won ten league titles, seven Romanian Cups, the European Champion Clubs' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup during two spells with the capital side.

• Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson joined the club from Fulham FC in the summer after leading the Cottagers to defeat in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League final. Having lost the 1996/97 decider as FC Internazionale Milano coach, he is one of three bosses to have lost two finals in this competition, along with Ernst Happel (1976 and 1982) and Georg Kessler (1981 and 1986).