AEK seek to restore pride against Anderlecht

With the fate of both sides sealed, AEK Athens FC will hope to restore pride and dent the impeccable record held by runaway leaders RSC Anderlecht in UEFA Europa League Group L.

Previous meetings
• Matías Suárez scored a hat-trick (16, 40 & 84) either side of a Milan Jovanović effort (33) and a goal from AEK's Leonardo (36) as the Brussels club got off to a flying start in the teams' matchday one meeting.

• Anderlecht's record in five games against AEK is W2 D3 L0 (W0 D2 L0 in Athens). Both of their previous away games against AEK ended 1-1.

• AEK have played a total of nine games against Belgian opposition, but have yet to win; W0 D6 L3 (W0 D4 L0 in Athens, with all four games scoring draws).

• Anderlecht have played 11 games against Greek sides in total, leaving them with the overall record of W4 D5 L2 against Greek opponents (W0 D3 L2 in Greece).

Match background
• AEK's record in 12 UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage home games is W2 D3 L7.

• Anderlecht's record in ten UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage away contests reads W4 D3 L3, scoring 15 goals and conceding nine in the process.

• The Brussels side are the only team in this season's group stage to boast a 100% record with wins in all four of their group stage games.

Team facts
• Anderlecht's Matías Suárez started the week as the top scorer in the group stage with six goals in four games. The Argentinian has had nine shots on target, meaning that two in three of his UEFA Europa League efforts have resulted in a goal.

• Anderlecht have been the most efficient team in front of goal in the group stage this season, scoring their 11 goals with just 18 shots (a hit-rate of just over 61%)

• Three more goals will take Anderlecht's all-time total to 550 in UEFA club competition; they have more European experience than any other side in the group stage, with this to be their 337th UEFA game.

• AEK have conceded 12 goals in the group stage; only Malmö FF, with 13, have conceded more.

• Anderlecht attacking midfielder Ronald Vargas celebrates his 25th birthday the day after this game.

• AEK's Nikos Liberopoulos met Anderlecht in a 2002/03 UEFA Cup fourth round tie; he scored once as his Panathinaikos FC side won 3-0 at home, progressing despite a 2-0 loss in Brussels.

• AEK's Roger Guerreiro and Anderlecht's Marcin Wasilewski are Polish international team-mates.

• AEK parted company with Spanish coach Manuel Jiménez by mutual consent in early October. Nikos Kostenoglou - who made over 220 league appearances for AEK between 1994 and 2005 - was named as his replacement.

• The 41-year-old started his coaching career in the club's youth system before assisting Lorenzo Serra Ferrer and, when the Spaniard was dismissed, taking over as caretaker until the end of 2007/08. He was most recently in charge of Larissa FC (2011), following a spell with Asteras Tripolis FC (2008-09).

• Ariel Jacobs has been Anderlecht coach since November 2007. Once a striker, he spent most of his career with K. Diegem Sport. He later coached youth teams for the Royal Belgian Football Association (URBSFA-KBVB) and acted as assistant to national team boss Guy Thys before returning to club football with RWD Molenbeek, RAA Louviéroise, KSC Lokeren OV and R. Excelsior Mouscron.