Zürich v Mönchengladbach background

FC Zürich will welcome an old friend in VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach coach Lucien Favre as the sides meet in UEFA Europa League Group A.

Form guide
• Zürich have lost their last three home games against German clubs since a 3-1 victory against Berliner FC Dynamo – then playing in the former East Germany – in September 1981. Their only other UEFA win against German opponents was against another East German side, 1. FC Dynamo Dresden, in March 1977.

• Zurich's heaviest home defeat in Europe was a 5-0 reverse against another German outfit, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.

• Zürich have won just one of their last six European home fixtures.

• Mönchengladbach were unbeaten away from home (W1 D2) in their only previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, in 2012/13.

Trivia and links
• Mönchengladbach's Brazilian forward Raffael played at Zürich from 2005 to 2007, winning two league titles under the leadership of his current coach, Lucien Favre.

• Zürich forward Amine Chermiti played alongside Mönchengladbach's Raffael and Ibrahima Traoré – and under Favre – during his time at Hertha BSC Berlin (2008-10). Team-mate Mario Gavranović has also played in Germany (FC Schalke 04, 1. FSV Mainz 05).

• Mönchengladbach's Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer played for Zürich's local rivals Grasshopper Club while on loan from FC Basel 1893 in 2009/10. Sommer's fellow Swiss international – and Basel old boy – Granit Xhaka also plays for Gladbach. Sommer and Xhaka were team-mates of Zürich's Gilles Yapi at Basel from 2010 to 2012.

The coaches
• Not to be confused with the famous Swiss referee with whom he shares a name, Zürich coach Urs Meier was a defender for the likes of FC Schaffhausen, AC Bellinzona and Grasshopper Club before moving into coaching. Briefly in charge of the Liechtenstein national team, he took control of his hometown club in 2012, having thrived at the helm of their youth side.

• Swiss coach Lucien Favre is leading Mönchengladbach into a second UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, having steered them to the round of 32 in 2012/13. The former Switzerland midfielder won two national titles and a Swiss Cup in charge of FC Zürich, and coached Hertha BSC Berlin before taking over Mönchengladbach in 2011.

• Favre led Zürich to their first title in 25 years in 2005/06 and repeated the feat the following season. He was voted Switzerland's coach of the season for both campaigns.