PAOK v Borussia Dortmund background

PAOK FC have gone 34 years without a win against a German side, but the Bundesliga experience in their ranks may help them when they take on Borussia Dortmund in UEFA Europa League Group C.

Previous meetings
• The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.

• PAOK's seven previous games against German teams ended W1 D3 L3 (W1 D1 L2 in Salonika – W0 D2 L1 in Germany). That lone victory came back in 1981 – 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Cup Winners' Cup first round – and they are without a win in the five most recent fixtures (D3 L2).

• Dortmund's only previous encounters with Greek sides were a 3-1 away defeat and a 1-0 home win against Olympiacos FC in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage.

Form guide
• PAOK have won all three of their European home games this season without conceding, scoring 12 goals in the process.

• Dortmund have won all five of their European contests under new coach Thomas Tuchel, scoring 19 goals and conceding six.

• PAOK have featured in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stages in five previous campaigns; they have made it to the knockout phase three times.

• Dortmund are in this group stage for only the second time, having failed to make it to the knockout phase in their only previous appearance, in 2010/11.

Trivia and links
• The journey from Dortmund to Salonika is around 1,700km.

• Dortmund boast Greek talent in the form of defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, the 59-times capped international having started his career at AEK Athens FC.

• Dortmund's İlkay Gündoğan and PAOK's Róbert Mak were team-mates at 1. FC Nürnberg (2009–11).

• PAOK's Dimitar Berbatov and Dortmund's Gonzalo Castro played together at Bayer 04 Leverkusen (2004–06).

• PAOK's Alexandros Tziolis (Werder Bremen 2009), Stelios Malezas (Fortuna Düsseldorf 2012–14), Ricardo Costa (VfL Wolfsburg 2007–10), Giannis Mystakidis (SC Freiburg II 2013–14) and Giorgos Tzavellas (Eintracht Frankfurt 2010–12) have also played in Germany.

The coaches
• PAOK have been led by former Croatia defender Igor Tudor since June. Now 37, he won two league titles with Juventus and began his coaching career with HNK Hajduk Split – the club where he started and ended his playing days – winning the Croatian Cup in 2013.

• Thomas Tuchel is in his first season as Dortmund coach after replacing Jürgen Klopp in the summer. Tuchel, 42, made his name in a five-year spell in charge of 1. FSV Mainz 05, but took 12 months out before assuming his current role.