Rubin record in Partizan sights

FC Rubin Kazan have never lost a UEFA group stage home game as they come up against an FK Partizan side who are aiming to break their club's away-day duck when the pair meet in UEFA Europa League Group H.

Previous meetings
• The sides have never met and this is Rubin's contest with a Serbian side.

• Partizan's four games against Russian sides have yet to produce a victory, with their record reading W0 D1 L3 (W0 D1 L1 at home – W0 D0 L2 in Russia). Both of their previous games in Russia – against FC Spartak Moskva in the 1999/2000 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, and PFC CSKA Moskva in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 16 – ended 2-0.

Match background
• Rubin are without a win in four European games (two draws and two defeats), but have never lost a home game in a UEFA group stage, recording three wins and six draws.

• Rubin were beaten on their last home outing, however, losing 1-0 to Olympiacos FC after making it through to the round of 32 last season following a successful group stage debut in this competition.

• Partizan have won only once in their last five European games, recording two draws and two defeats during that run. They have lost their last 11 UEFA group stage away games since a 2-2 draw at S.S. Lazio in their first game of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage. They have never won a UEFA group stage away game in 15 attempts (14 of them ending in defeat).

• Partizan are embarking on their fifth group stage campaign in this competition, but have not made it through to the knockout stages since the inaugural UEFA Cup group phase in 2004/05, when their coach – as now – was Vladimir Vermezović.

Team facts
• Rubin's Vitali Kaleshin celebrates his 32nd birthday on the eve of the game.

• Partizan's next goal will be their 300th in UEFA club competition; this is their 193rd official European game.

• Partizan defender Sreten Stretenović (FC Kuban Krasnodar) and midfielder Zvonimir Vukić (FC Moskva) have both played for Russian clubs.

• Kurban Berdyev has been coach of Rubin since 2001, leading the club to successive Russian titles in 2008 and 2009 and a Russian Cup in 2012. Previously a defender and midfielder in the top Soviet league with SKA Rostov-na-Donu and FC Kairat Almaty, he coached teams in Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan before leading Rubin into Russia's top division.

• Partizan coach Vermezović started his career as a defender for the club, moving abroad later to play for Real Sporting de Gijón, UD Salamanca, Panionios GSS and Hannover 96. He then coached Partizan feeder club FK Teleoptik before taking charge of the senior side from 2004 to 2005, returning in 2012 following spells at FC Spartak Trnava and South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs FC.