Metalist and Newcastle seek breakthrough

FC Metalist Kharkiv and Newcastle United FC drew 0-0 in England last week and will look to sharpen up their shooting as their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie concludes in Ukraine.

• Papiss Cissé had two goals ruled out for offside, but Newcastle were guilty of missing some decent chances, with Metalist goalkeeper Olexandr Goryainov emerging as the unlikely star of Myron Markevich's attack-minded side.

Previous meetings
• The sides met for the first time in UEFA club competition last week.

• Metalist's only previous encounters with an English club came in the first round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup when Myron Markevich's side drew 1-1 at Everton FC before losing a dramatic return leg 3-2.

• Newcastle's previous experience of Ukrainian opposition amounts to four UEFA Champions League group stage games against FC Dynamo Kyiv which ended W2 D1 L1 (W2 D0 L0 at home – W0 D1 L1 in Ukraine).

Match background
• Metalist have lost just once in 11 European home games (W7 D3 L1) with that lone defeat a 1-0 against Olympiacos FC in last season's round of 16.

• Newcastle are without a win in five European away games – three draws and two defeats.

• Group K winners Metalist have made it to the round of 32 for a fourth time. They have progressed to the round of 16 twice (missing out in 2010/11). Their best campaign to date saw them get to the quarter-finals last season, where they were eliminated by Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• Newcastle, who were runners-up in Group D, have reached the round of 32 for the first time since the competition became the UEFA Europa League, having made it through on both of their previous attempts since the advent of the UEFA Cup group stage in 2004/05 – most recently in 2006/07. Their most successful campaign in the competition was 2003/04, when they reached the semi-finals.

Team facts 
• Metalist are strong finishers: five of their nine goals since the start of the group stage have been scored between the 75th minute and the final whistle.

• This is Metalist's 50th UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League game; the previous 49 ended W27 D12 L10.

• Metalist coach Myron Markevich is a keen student of the game – he has made trips to study Fabio Capello, Christoph Daum and Carlo Ancelotti – and is also an able pianist. Having been in charge of Metalist since 2005, he was named Ukraine coach on his 59th birthday in February 2010 but stepped down that August to focus solely on his club duties.

• Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was the 2011/12 Premier League manager of the year, having established himself at Reading FC, West Ham United FC, Charlton Athletic FC and Southampton FC prior to a move to Tyneside in 2010. A glazier and taxi driver while playing non-league football, the midfielder was in his mid-20s when he became a professional, playing for Crystal Palace FC and Charlton among others.

Round of 16: FC Anji Makhachkala/Hannover 96 v Newcastle/Metalist
• The first legs will be played on 7 March, with the returns the following Thursday.