Astra v Celtic background
Friday, October 24, 2014
Article summary
FC Astra Giurgiu will look to maintain the unbeaten home record of Romanian clubs against Scottish sides as Celtic FC head east in Group D for their 300th European game.
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Article body
FC Astra Giurgiu will look to deface a significant Celtic FC milestone as the sides come together for a second time in UEFA Europa League Group D.
Form guide
• Beaten 2-1 in Glasgow on matchday three, Astra have now lost their last four European games, with their 5-1 matchday one defeat at GNK Dinamo Zagreb their worst European result to date.
• Celtic are without a European away win in three games (D2 L1) since beating KR Reykjavík 1-0 in their opening away trip of the season. They have not won in six UEFA group stage away fixtures (D1 L5) since a 3-2 UEFA Champions League success at FC Spartak Moskva in 2012.
• Celtic fans with long memories will remember the Hoops' first meeting with Romanian opponents; Charlie Nicholas scored twice as they beat FC Timişoara 2-1 at home in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but a 1-0 loss in Romania – courtesy of a Dan Păltinişanu strike – spelled an away-goals defeat for Billy McNeill's side.
Trivia and links
• This is Celtic's 300th UEFA club competition game (the first 299 ended: W142 D51 L106).
• No Scottish club has won a UEFA game on Romanian soil in ten meetings (D4 L6); in addition, Kilmarnock FC lost 2-0 at FCM Bacau in the 1970 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – the non-UEFA-affiliated precursor to the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League.
The coaches
• Astra coach Daniel Isăilă was dismissed during the October international break with his side having won just one of their previous seven games in all competitions.
• Former Soviet Union forward Oleh Protasov is Astra's new coach, having returned to Romania nine years after a five-month spell as FC Steaua Bucureşti coach. The one-time FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, FC Dynamo Kyiv and Olympiacos FC player has coached in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus as well as in his native Ukraine.
• Celtic coach Ronny Deila took charge of the Hoops in June 2014 following a successful spell at Strømsgodset IF in his native Norway. The former Odd Grenland and Viking FK defender led the Drammen club to the 2010 Norwegian Cup title and, in 2013, their first league crown since 1970.
