Basel seeking to get back on track

FC Basel 1893 will look to end a disappointing run of results in Europe as KRC Genk head south in UEFA Europa League Group G, eager to build on a 3-0 matchday one win.

Previous meetings
• Basel and Genk are meeting for the first time in European competition.

• Basel's four previous games against Belgian sides have ended W3 D0 L1 (W2 D0 L0 at home – W1 D0 L1 in Belgium). They won both of their two-legged ties against Belgian sides.

• Genk's record in four games against Swiss clubs is also W3 D0 L1 (W2 D0 L0 at home – W1 D0 L1 away). They also won both of their two-legged ties against Swiss clubs.

• Genk have already claimed one Swiss scalp this season, overcoming FC Luzern in the play-offs with a 2-0 home win following a 2-1 away defeat.

Match background
• Basel are without a win in four European games.

• Basel beat Manchester United FC and FC Bayern München at St. Jakob-Park in the UEFA Champions League last season, and went four home games unbeaten (three wins) in European competition until a 2-1 defeat by CFR 1907 Cluj in this season's UEFA Champions League play-offs.

• Basel have played in the UEFA Champions League group stage for three of the last four seasons. They are returning for a sixth tilt at this stage of this competition, having made it through to the knockout phase in three of their five previous attempts.

• Genk played in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage, but are taking part in this phase of the UEFA Europa League for the first time.

• The Belgian club's group stage experience last season was somewhat chastening: they drew all of their home games, but lost all three on the road without scoring, conceding 14 times in the process, culminating in a 7-0 loss at Valencia CF.

• Genk have won four of their five European games this season, but have won only one of their last eight on the road: 2-1 at FK Aktobe in this season's third qualifying round. That run includes six defeats as well as a draw.

Team facts
• Genk's 3-0 home victory against Videoton FC on matchday one matched their best home win in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League.

• Basel midfielder Gilles Yapo played in Belgium for KSK Beveren from 2001 to 2004.

• Basel coach Heiko Vogel never played at professional level, turning out as a midfielder in the regional leagues in Germany while training as a sports teacher. He would eventually take charge of FC Bayern München's youngsters, before assisting Thorsten Fink at Bavarian side FC Ingolstadt 04. He followed Fink to Basel in 2009, and stayed on to take the top job after Fink left for Hamburger SV in October 2011.

• Genk's coach since August 2012 has been Dutchman Mario Been, most famous for his work as a midfielder – and then coach – with Feyenoord and their satellite club SBV Excelsior. He led NEC Nijmegen through the group stage of the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, but lost out to KAA Gent in the 2010/11 play-offs when he was coaching Feyenoord.