Asteras v Partizan background

Still unbeaten at home in European competition, Asteras Tripolis FC will look to build on an impressive opening UEFA Europa League Group C draw as they meet FK Partizan.

Form guide
• Asteras are yet to lose in six UEFA home games (three draws followed by three wins).

• Partizan are unbeaten in seven UEFA encounters this season (W4 D3).

• Partizan captain Saša Ilić scored two of Partizan's four goals against Egaleo FC in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage, the club's only previous meeting with Greek opponents.

Trivia and links
• Ilić played alongside Asteras's Facundo Parra while on loan at Larissa FC in 2009, and a number of other Partizan players have played for Greek clubs: Petar Grbić (Olympiacos FC, Levadiakos FC), Milan Lukač (AEK Athens FC) and Nenad Marinković (OFI Crete FC).

• Asteras are one of only four teams in the group stage who started out in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, along with FC Krasnodar, FC Dinamo Minsk and HNK Rijeka. This is their eighth European game this season, making this comfortably the longest of their three continental campaigns.

• Partizan have failed to make it through their last five UEFA group stage campaigns since getting to the round of 16 via the inaugural UEFA Cup group stage in 2004/05.

The coaches
• Asteras put their faith in coach Staikos Vergetis in 2013, with the 38-year-old renowned as a communicator – not least since he is fluent in several languages and has worked for the club as an interpreter, as well as a youth coach, match analyst and assistant coach. Born in Tripoli, he was denied his dream of a playing career by a serious knee injury.

• Just 35, Marko Nikolić took charge of Partizan in December 2013, having started his career as a youth coach at FK Rad, going on to coach their senior team, plus Serbia's Under-18 side and FK Vojvodina.