Apollon v Mönchengladbach background

Apollon Limassol FC will look to atone for a heavy defeat in Germany last time out as they welcome VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach in UEFA Europa League Group A.

Form guide
• Matchday four's 5-0 loss at Gladbach matched the margin of Apollon's previous worst away result in this competition – a 6-1 reverse at Bohemians 1905 in Prague in September 1984.

• Gladbach have yet to concede in five UEFA outings against Cypriot opponents (W4 D1), and recorded their biggest European win against Cypriot guests when they beat Enosis Pezoporikou Amol FC 10-0 in the second leg of a 1970/71 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round tie. The 'away' leg of that tie was staged in Germany too – in Augsburg, where Gladbach won 6-0.

• In 43 encounters between the nations' clubs in UEFA competition, there has – as yet – been just one Cypriot win (APOEL FC beating Berliner FC Dynamo 2-1 in Nicosia in a 1980/81 European Cup first round match). The Bundesliga sides have edged 35 of those fixtures.

• Gladbach are unbeaten in five European games this season (W3 D2), while Apollon have won only one of their last five continental home fixtures (W1 D2 L2).

Trivia and links
• Gladbach's Thorgan Hazard and Apollon's Cameroonian forward Fabrice were team-mates while on loan at SV Zulte Waregem last season.

• Gladbach have had the most shots on goal (64) of any side in the group stage so far. Apollon have conceded the most goals in the group stage this season (11).

• Apollon's Fotis Papoulis scored the first goal of the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League group stage, nine minutes into their 3-2 matchday one win against FC Zürich.

• Having made their debut last season, Apollon are the first Cypriot side to have reached the UEFA Europa League group stage for a second time.

The coaches
• On 8 October, Apollon parted company with coach Christakis Christoforou, who had been at the helm since March 2013.

• Romanian coach Ioan Andone took charge of Apollon on 16 October, having previously worked in Cyprus when he held the reins at AC Omonia from 2005 2007. Capped 55 times as a defender, Andone has served as a coach in Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent years.

• 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.