Tottenham v Asteras background

Tottenham Hotspur FC will look to extend Asteras Tripolis FC's wait for a first European away win as they play host to the Greek side in UEFA Europa League Group C.

Form guide
• Spurs' only defeat in ten UEFA Europa League group stage home games came against a Greek club; they lost 2-1 to PAOK FC in 2011/12.

• Asteras have yet to win – or score more than one goal – in seven European away matches (D4 L3).

Trivia and links
• Spurs' Vlad Chiricheş and Asteras's Dorin Goian have played together for Romania.

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

• The clubs have a former goalkeeper in common; Márton Fülöp was on Spurs' books from 2004 to 2007 and represented Asteras from 2012 to 2013.

The coaches
• Former Argentina defender Mauricio Pochettino took charge of Tottenham in the summer after a successful first season in England at Southampton FC. A Copa del Rey winner in both of his spells at RCD Espanyol, he also played for Paris Saint-Germain and FC Girondins de Bordeaux but returned to the Barcelona club for his first coaching role in 2009.

• 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.