Steaua ready for Schalke visit

FC Steaua Bucureşti will look to take inspiration from a new coach as they take on last season's UEFA Champions League semi-finalists FC Schalke 04 in their opening UEFA Europa League Group J game.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in Europe.

• Steaua's record in 12 games against German opponents is a somewhat dispiriting W1 D4 L7 (W1 D2 L2 at home).

• That lone victory against a German side was a 3-1 win against Borussia Dortmund in Bucharest in the second leg of a European Champion Clubs' Cup first round tie on 8 December 1957, having lost the first leg 4-2. With the away goals rule yet to be introduced, the tie was settled by a replay, which Dortmund won 3-1 in Bologna.

• Steaua have not scored in their last three games against German sides, and have also drawn a blank in their last three home fixtures against teams from the Bundesliga.

• Schalke met Steaua's neighbours FC Sportul Studenţesc Bucureşti in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup second round; they won 1-0 away and 4-0 at home in what was their only previous tie against a Romanian side.

Match background
• Unbeaten in six European home games since a 1-0 loss to Fenerbahçe SK in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League group stage, Steaua have been alternating draws and wins on their own turf; should that pattern continue they are due another draw against Schalke.

• Schalke have not won in three UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League away fixtures (a draw and two defeats) since a 4-1 victory at APOEL FC in the first round on 16 September 2008. Their only previous away fixture this season ended in a shock 2-0 loss at HJK Helsinki, though they won the return fixture 6-1.

Team facts
• Schalke defender and midfielder Marco Höger celebrates his 22nd birthday the day after the Steaua game. A summer signing from TSV Alemannia Aachen, he made his European debut for Schalke in the play-offs, featuring in both legs against HJK Helsinki.

• Schalke boast Romanian talent in the form of forward Ciprian Marica, who started his career with Steaua's neighbours FC Dinamo Bucureşti. He represented FC Shakhtar Donetsk and VfB Stuttgart before joining Schalke this summer.

• Steaua are led by Israeli coach Roni Levy, who won three titles as a coach in his home country with Maccabi Haifa FC and a runners-up medal in Romania with FC Unirea Urziceni in 2009/10. He joined Steaua this summer after a spell back in Israel at Beitar Jerusalem FC.

• Levy led Maccabi Haifa through the group stage of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, eventually reaching the round of 16.

• Ralf Rangnick returned to Schalke in the spring, having previously been in charge in the 2004/05 season. The studious coach guided them to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season having taken them through the UEFA Cup group stage in his first spell at the helm.