Salzburg seek Standard breakthrough

FC Salzburg will look to succeed where two previous generations of the club have failed and win a home game against R. Standard de Liège as the sides reconvene in UEFA Europa League Group C.

Previous meetings
• This is Salzburg and Standard's fifth European meeting; Tomislav Ivić's Standard eliminated Hans Backe's Salzburg from the third round of the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and Domenico D'Onofrio's Standard got the better of Huub Stevens' Salzburg in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• Salzburg have drawn both of their previous home games against Standard, and lost both of their past away encounters.

• The teams for the sides' first encounter in Salzburg, a 1-1 stalemate at the old Stadion Lehen on 22 July 2000, were:
Salzburg: Safar, Jank, Szewczyk, Cárcamo, Kitzbichler (Struber 81), M Suazo, Aufhauser, Silberberger (Karasek 46), Laessig, JC Suazo, Sabitzer.
Standard: Runje, Ernst, Selymes (Meyssen 71), Van Buyten, Brocken, Folha, Mornar (Pierre 67), Dragutinović, Lukunku (Oussalah 86), El Yamani, Ciobotariu.

• For the most recent encounter at the Stadion Salzburg, a 0-0 draw on 25 February 2010, the teams were:
Salzburg: Gustafsson*, Dudić (Zickler 74), Afolabi, Tchoyi, Opdam, Ulmer*, Švento*, Cziommer (Wallner 64), Janko, Sekagaya, Leitgeb*.
Standard: Bolat, Victor Ramos, Defour, Mbokani (Traoré 90+4), De Camargo*, Camozzato, Sarr, Jovanović (Carcela-González* 72), Nicaise (Mangala 82), Witsel, Pocognoli.

*registered to play in this season's UEFA Europa League.

Match background
• Past meetings with Standard included, Salzburg's record in eight games against Belgian sides is W3 D2 L3 (W2 D2 L0 at home – W1 D0 L3 in Belgium).

• Standard's six matches against Austrian clubs have ended W3 D2 L1 (W3 D0 L0 at home – W0 D2 L1 in Austria).

• Salzburg competed in the 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 UEFA Europa League group stages, making it through to the round of 32 – but no further – in 2009/10 and 2011/12.

• Salzburg are on a four-game European winning streak following their 2-1 matchday two success at Esbjerg fB.

• Since missing the cut on their UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League group stage debut in 2004/05, Standard have made it through both of their subsequent group stage campaigns at this level. They also notably reached the last eight in 2009/10, having transferred from the UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Standard are unbeaten in four European away fixtures this season (W3 D1).

Team facts
• Salzburg boast two of the group stage's three top scorers with Jonatan Soriano and Alan both having scored three goals each, along with Tottenham Hotspur FC's Jermain Defoe. Soriano's hat-trick against IF Elfsborg on matchday one was, at 35 minutes, the fourth fastest in the competition. Steven Gerrard's 13-minute treble for Liverpool FC against SSC Napoli in November 2010 remains the quickest.

• Standard have had 16 shots on target in their opening two games of the group stage – more than any team – though they have scored only twice.

Coach information
• Salzburg coach Roger Schmidt took charge of the club in June 2012. A midfielder in the lower leagues in his native Germany, he combined football with work as an apprentice toolmaker before studying mechanical engineering. He moved into coaching with Delbrücker SC and SC Preussen Münster, before a fifth-place finish in the 2. Bundesliga with SC Paderborn 07 in 2011/12 helped persuade Salzburg to hire him.

• Guy Luzon left his native Israel to take over as Standard coach in summer 2013, having led his national team on home soil at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Injury forced the nephew of Israel Football Association (IFA) president Avi Luzon to hang up his boots at 21, but he found his calling as a coach, famously leading Maccabi Petach-Tikva FC into the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage.