Belenenses v Lech background
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Article summary
Os Belenenses and Lech Poznań come together in a battle of the bottom two in UEFA Europa League Group I knowing the wrong combination of results could eliminate them both.
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Article body
Os Belenenses and KKS Lech Poznań are both in need of a win as the bottom two in UEFA Europa League Group I come together.
• If Belenenses and Lech draw, both would be eliminated – in the event that FC Basel 1893 lose to ACF Fiorentina in the section's other match.
• A Fiorentina win would spell elimination for any losers in this game.
Previous meetings
• The sides drew 0-0 on matchday one in what was Belenenses' first fixture against a Polish club.
• Lech's only previous encounter with a Portuguese side ended in a 2-1 aggregate loss to SC Braga in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League round of 32.
Form guide
• All four of Belenenses' Group I points have been won away from home – they are without a victory, or a goal, in their last three European home games.
• Lech's only Group I success came away, against Fiorentina on matchday three. They have been alternating wins and defeats in their last six European away fixtures and are due to lose in Lisbon if that pattern continues.
• Belenenses are making their UEFA group stage debut. This is set to be the longest campaign in their European history – at least ten games.
• Lech made it to the round of 32 in their only two previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Poznan to Lisbon is around 2,500km.
• Lech are one of ten sides in the group stage who qualified for Europe this season as domestic champions, along with KF Skenderbëu (Albania), Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan), APOEL FC (Cyprus), FC Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic), FC Midtjylland (Denmark), FK Partizan (Serbia), Celtic FC (Scotland), Molde FK (Norway) and Group I rivals Basel (Switzerland).
The coaches
• Ricardo Sá Pinto returned to Portugal to take charge of Belenenses in the summer, following two years abroad with FK Crvena zvezda, OFI Crete and Atromitos FC. He had earlier coached Sporting Clube de Portugal, the side with whom he made his name. He was a losing UEFA Cup finalist with Sporting in 2005.
• Jan Urban replaced Maciej Skorża as Lech coach in the run-up to matchday three with the Polish champions bottom of the Ekstraklasa. Former Poland striker Urban won three national titles as a player and two more as Legia Warszawa coach.
