Dinamo Minsk v Rapid Wien background
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Article summary
Dinamo Minsk will look to record a third successive home win against Austrian opponents as Rapid Wien come to Belarus for the first time in UEFA Europa League Group E.
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FC Dinamo Minsk failed to score at home in their previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign – an unwelcome feat they will be eager not to repeat when SK Rapid Wien visit.
Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition and this is Rapid's first encounter with Belarusian opponents.
• Dinamo's four games against Austrian teams have ended W3 D0 L1 (W2 D0 L0 at home – W1 D0 L1 in Austria). They won both of those home matches without conceding.
• Dinamo eliminated FC Salzburg in this season's UEFA Europa League play-offs, prevailing on penalties in Austria after a 2-0 home win and a 2-0 away defeat.
Form guide
• Dinamo are unbeaten in three European home fixtures this term, but did not score or win (D1 L2) in their three group stage home matches last season.
• Rapid are unbeaten away from home in Europe this season – having won 3-2 at AFC Ajax and drawn 2-2 with FC Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Champions League qualifying – but are without a win in their last seven UEFA Europa League group stage trips (D1 L6) since a 2-0 success at PFC CSKA Sofia in October 2010.
• Dinamo Minsk have reached this stage for the second season in succession; they did not progress to the round of 32 in 2014/15.
• Rapid failed to make it through to the knockout phase in their four previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League campaigns.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Vienna to Minsk is around 1,000km.
• Rapid's Croatian striker Matej Jelić was the joint top scorer in UEFA Europa League qualifying this season, registering seven goals for MŠK Žilina before moving to Austria.
The coaches
• Former FK Partizan defender Vuk Rašović has been in charge of Dinamo Minsk since the summer, having stepped up to a front-line role after a spell as the club's director of football. He had previously been on the coaching staff at Partizan and their feeder club FK Teleoptik.
• A midfielder of Croatian descent, Vienna-born Zoran Barisic played for Rapid from 1993 to 1995 and has been on the coaching staff since 2006. He has been in sole command at the club since 2013 and led them to a runners-up finish in the Bundesliga last season.
