Plzeň v Rapid Wien background
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Article summary
Czech champions Viktoria Plzeň will look to continue a winning run at home in the UEFA Europa League and at least delay Rapid Wien's progress from Group E.
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Article body
FC Viktoria Plzeň will look to avenge a matchday three defeat and delay SK Rapid Wien's progress to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 from Group E.
Previous meetings
• Rapid won 3-2 at home against Plzeň – who were playing their first game against Austrian opponents – on 22 October. That third successive victory means this is Rapid's best start to a group stage.
• Rapid's five games against Czech teams have ended W3 D0 L2 – they have lost on both of their previous trips to the Czech Republic.
Form guide
• Rapid, SSC Napoli and SC Braga are the only teams to have maximum points going into matchday four.
• If Rapid win, they are through.
• Plzeň have won their last two European home games without conceding.
• Rapid have not lost in three European away matches this season (W2 D1).
• Plzeň successfully navigated their way through their only previous UEFA Europa League group stage in 2012/13.
• Rapid failed to progress to the knockout phase in their four previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Vienna to Plzen is around 275km, making Rapid's the shortest trip any club will take on matchday four.
• Rapid's Croatian forward Matej Jelić turns 25 on the day of the game.
• Rapid goalkeeper Ján Novota, Plzeň counterpart Matúš Kozáčik and Patrik Hrošovský are team-mates with Slovakia.
• Plzeň are one of ten sides in the group stage who qualified for Europe this season as domestic champions, along with KF Skënderbeu (Albania), Qarabağ FK (Albania), APOEL FC (Cyprus), FC Midtjylland (Denmark), KKS Lech Poznań (Poland), FK Partizan (Serbia), Celtic FC (Scotland), Molde FK (Norway) and FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland).
The coaches
• Karel Krejčí took charge at Plzeň this summer, replacing Miroslav Koubek. He was Pavel Vrba's assistant when Plzeň won two league titles and he continues to work as Vrba's No2 with the Czech national team.
• 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 assumed sole command in 2013 and led the Green-Whites to a runners-up finish in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.
