Maribor aim to make history against Panathinaikos

NK Maribor will look to buck a trend as they meet Panathinaikos FC in UEFA Europa League Group J, with the Slovenian side yet to win a group stage game in this competition.

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

• Maribor took on Panathinaikos's local rivals Olympiacos FC in the first round of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup, losing 2-0 in Athens and then 3-1 in Slovenia.

• Panathinaikos took on ND Gorica in the first round of the 1999/00 UEFA Cup, in their only previous games against a Slovenian side, producing a 1-0 away win and a 2-0 victory at home.

• The overall picture in 12 meetings between Greek and Slovenian clubs makes slightly less gloomy reading for Maribor: the Slovenian sides' record is W2 D2 L8 (W1 D2 L3 at home – W1 D0 L5 in Greece).

Match background
• Maribor are returning to the group stage for a second season, having failed to reach the knockout phase in their maiden effort in 2011/12.

• Maribor failed to win in six group stage games last season, recording a draw and five defeats.

• This is Panathinaikos's fourth UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, and they have successfully reached the knockout phase of the competition in all of their previous efforts.

• Panathinaikos's last three UEFA group stage campaigns have kicked off with defeats: 5-1 at FC Barcelona in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League, 3-1 at home against Galatasaray AŞ in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League, and 2-0 at home against FC Internazionale Milano in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League.

Team facts
• Maribor's Martin Milec celebrates his 21st birthday on the day of the match.

• Maribor coach Darko Milanič was a defender for Yugoslavia and Slovenia, spending his club career with FK Partizan and SK Sturm Graz. After captaining Slovenia at UEFA EURO 2000, he moved into coaching with NK Izola and NK Primorje, and won the 2007/08 Slovenian title with Gorica before switching to Maribor, where he has won two further national crowns.

• Panathinaikos's coach is Portuguese specialist Jesualdo Ferreira. Once coach of Portugal's Under-21 side and assistant boss of the senior national team, he coached SL Benfica and SC Braga before winning an unprecedented three successive Liga titles at FC Porto from 2006-10. He took command at Panathinaikos in October 2010.