Lokomotiv look to close door on Sturm
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Article summary
A point for FC Lokomotiv Moskva will secure their place in the knockout stage and end SK Sturm Graz's hopes, as the Austrian side need at least two goals, and victory, to keep the dream alive.
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FC Lokomotiv Moskva will look to block SK Sturm Graz's path to the UEFA Europa League round of 32, with the Austrian side needing at least two goals in the Group L tie to keep their faint hopes of progression alive.
Previous meetings
• Lokomotiv were victorious when teams met on matchday one. The Russian side came out firing but, against the run of play, found themselves trailing to an Imre Szabics strike on 14 minutes. Two goals in quick succession, from Victor Obinna (28) and Dmitri Sychev (29), turned the tide in favour of the visitors who defended their lead with ease after the break.
• Sturm have played five games against Russian sides, two each against Lokomotiv's capital rivals PFC CSKA Moskva and FC Spartak Moskva. Sturm's record in those fixtures is W1 D1 L3 (W0 D1 L1 in Moscow).
• Sturm coach Franco Foda was an unused substitute for the club in one of those games, a 2-0 defeat at home by Spartak in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League.
• Lokomotiv's eight games against Austrian opponents ended W4 D2 L2 (W1 D1 L1 in Russia). One of those ties, against FC Wacker Innsbruck in 2001, was played over three matches, after the Austrian leg was replayed.
Match background
• Lokomotiv's record in seven UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage home fixtures is W3 D1 L3.
• Sturm's 2-1 win at AEK Athens FC on matchday two is their only victory on the road in five attempts in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage. Prior to that match, they had gone eight games without an away win in UEFA competition since a 1-0 victory at FC Metalist Kharkiv in the UEFA Europa League play-offs on 27 August 2009.
Team facts
• Sturm's Bosnian midfielder Samir Muratović played in Russia with FC Saturn Ramenskoye Oblast from 2001 to 2003 prior to joining Sturm's local rivals Grazer AK. He could be up against his one-time international team-mate Senijad Ibričić, a midfielder for Lokomotiv.
• Lokomotiv coach José Couceiro was caretaker coach at Sporting Clube de Portugal for the latter part of the 2010/11 season before replacing Yuri Krasnozhan as Lokomotiv boss in July. Since coaching Portugal's Under-21s from 2006 to 2007, he has been in charge at FBK Kaunas, Lithuania and Gaziantepspor.
• German defender Foda finished his playing career at Sturm following spells with the likes of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart. He joined the club's coaching staff after hanging up his boots, and following a brief first stint in charge in 2003, has been first-team boss since 2006.
