Basel aim to keep edge on Spartak
Saturday, January 1, 2011
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FC Basel 1893 will look to extend their three-game winning streak against FC Spartak Moskva in the last 32, but the Russian outfit have notched some good results on their travels recently.
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FC Basel 1893 will look to extend their three-game winning streak against FC Spartak Moskva in the UEFA Europa League round of 32, but the Russian outfit have recorded some notable results on their travels recently.
Previous meetings
• The round of 32 tie will bring the fifth and sixth meetings between these two sides, who first crossed paths in a 1970/71 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round tie, when Helmut Benthaus's Basel beat Nikolai Starostin's Spartak on away goals. Christian Gross's Basel then prevailed 2-0 in both of their 2002/03 UEFA Champions League group stage games against Oleg Romantsev's Spartak.
• Basel have thus won their last three matches against the Russian side.
• The teams for their last meeting in Switzerland, on 17 September 2002, were:
Basel: Zuberbühler, Quennoz, Esposito, Hakan Yakin (Savić 87), Barberis, Giménez, Murat Yakin, Cantaluppi, Haas, Atouba, Rossi (Tum 75).
Spartak: Cherchesov, Kovtun, Ibra Kébé, Tchuissé, Baranov (Marcelo Silva 56), Beschastnykh, Kudryashov, Kalinichenko (Mitreski 72), Danishevski (Essien 46), Moisés, Khlestov.
Match background
• Basel's overall record against Russian opposition reads W4 D1 L2 (W3 D0 L0 at home).
• Basel are the only Swiss side to have beaten Spartak. The Russian club's record in ten games against teams from Switzerland reads W5 D2 L3 (W2 D0 L2 in Switzerland).
• Basel have won three of their five European home fixtures this season but lost to both AS Roma and FC Bayern München at St. Jakob-Park in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
• Spartak have lost only one of their last six continental away games, going down 4-1 at Chelsea FC in this season's UEFA Champions League group stage.
Team facts
• Both Basel and BSC Young Boys, the only other Swiss side left in UEFA club competition this season, were drawn against Russian teams in the round of 32; the Berne outfit will be facing Russian champions FC Zenit St Petersburg.
• Basel coach Thorsten Fink appeared in four games against Spartak as a Bayern midfielder – all of them in 2001 – and was on the winning side on each occasion.
• Spartak coach Valeri Karpin featured for Russia when they defeated Switzerland 1-0 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Zurich.
• The overall winners will take on the victors in the tie between RSC Anderlecht and AFC Ajax in the round of 16 on 10 and 17 March, playing the first leg away from home.
