HJK v Torino background
Friday, October 24, 2014
Article summary
HJK Helsinki have yet to get off the mark in any sense in UEFA Europa League Group B as they look to buck the trend at home against Torino FC on matchday four.
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HJK Helsinki are in dire need of a first UEFA Europa League Group B goal as they welcome a Torino FC side who have yet to concede in seven European games this season.
Form guide
• Torino's 2-0 win against HJK on matchday three means they have won all three of their matches against Finnish clubs without conceding; HJK have lost all five of their past games against Italian teams without scoring.
• In 19 meetings in UEFA club competition, only once has a Finnish outfit beaten Italian opponents – TPS Turku won 1-0 at FC Internazionale Milano in the UEFA Cup second round on 21 October 1987 – with 16 of those games ending in Italian wins.
• Remarkably, Torino have not conceded in seven European contests this term (W5 D2). They are one of five sides yet to concede in the group stage along with Legia Warszawa, AS Saint-Étienne and Serie A rivals ACF Fiorentina and FC Internazionale Milano.
Trivia and links
• HJK have conceded the fewest fouls in the group stage – just 19 in three games.
• Torino defender Emiliano Moretti will make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance if he features on matchday three.
• HJK goalkeeper Antonio Doblas played in Serie A last season for SSC Napoli.
• Finland's first UEFA Europa League group stage contenders, HJK are among ten national champions in the group stage along with GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Legia Warszawa (Poland), FC Steaua Bucureşti (Romania), AC Sparta Praha (Czech Republic), Aalborg BK (Denmark), ŠK Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia), Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan), FC Salzburg (Austria) and Celtic FC (Scotland).
The coaches
• HJK coach Mika Lehkosuo was a midfielder for the club when they played in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League, captaining the side after a brief spell in Italy with AC Perugia. Capped 17 times, he coached FC Honka Espoo before taking over at HJK in April 2014.
• Giampiero Ventura led Torino back to Serie A after taking charge in 2011, and is now enjoying – at the age of 66 – his first season in Europe. Previously a player at UC Sampdoria, he once led US Lecce from Serie C to Serie A, and also oversaw promotion to the top tier with Cagliari Calcio, as well as winning a club record 50 Serie A points with AS Bari in 2009/10.
