Fenerbahçe v Lokomotiv Moskva background
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Article summary
Fenerbahçe have yet to keep a clean sheet in four encounters with Russian opponents as they look to make a positive round of 32 start against Lokomotiv Moskva.
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Fenerbahçe SK will be hoping to keep their first clean sheet against Russian opponents as they welcome FC Lokomotiv Moskva in their UEFA Europa League round of 32 opener.
Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.
• Fenerbahçe's record in four matches against Russian teams is W1 D2 L1 (W1 D1 L0 at home – W0 D1 L1 in Russia).
• Lokomotiv's record in eight games against Turkish clubs is W2 D3 L3 (W1 D1 L2 at home – W1 D2 L1 in Turkey).
Form guide
• Fenerbahçe are unbeaten in five European fixtures (W2 D3) since starting the group stage with a 3-1 home loss to Molde FK.
• Lokomotiv are undefeated in four European away games (W2 D2).
• The Railwaymen faced Turkish Süper Lig opposition in the group stage, twice drawing 1-1 with Beşiktaş JK.
• Fenerbahçe made it to the semi-finals when they last reached the round of 32, in 2012/13.
• Lokomotiv lost to Athletic Club on the most recent occasion they progressed this far, in 2011/12. Their greatest European achievement to date is making it to the semi-finals of back-to-back UEFA Cup Winners' Cups in 1997/98 and 1998/99.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Moscow to Istanbul is around 1,750km.
• Lokomotiv's Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes played for Fenerbahçe's city rivals Beşiktaş from 2011 to 2014. He and Fenerbahçe's Mehmet Topal were team-mates at Valencia CF from 2010 to 2011.
• Fenerbahçe centre-back Bruno Alves played in Russia for FC Zenit from 2010 to 2013; fellow defender Caner Erkin was at PFC CSKA Moskva from 2007 to 2010.
• Lokomotiv's Vedran Ćorluka played alongside Fenerbahçe's Michal Kadlec during a loan spell at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the second half of the 2011/12 season.
• Fenerbahçe come into the first leg having played exactly 200 UEFA games with the record W71 D41 L88.
The coaches
• Fenerbahçe coach since June, Portuguese technician Vítor Pereira was André Villas-Boas's assistant when FC Porto claimed the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League. He later won two league titles as the Dragons' coach and a domestic double in Greece with Olympiacos FC in 2014/15.
• An eight-times-capped Tajik international, Igor Cherevchenko lifted four Russian Cups as a Lokomotiv player between 1996 and 2001, and a fifth as coach last term. He is the first man to have won the competition as a player and a coach. Cherevchenko has been on the club's coaching staff since 2008.
