Sevilla v Basel background

On the lookout for an unprecedented third successive UEFA Europa League triumph, Sevilla FC can feel confident as they welcome final hosts FC Basel 1893 with the scores still square at 0-0.

Previous meetings
• The clubs drew 0-0 in Basel in the first leg in what was their first European encounter.

• Sevilla's only previous match against Swiss opponents in Europe produced a 4-0 victory at Grasshopper Club Zürich in the UEFA Cup group stage in November 2006.

• Basel's record in 17 games against Spanish sides is now W2 D5 L10 (W2 D3 L4 in Basel – W0 D2 L6 in Spain). Those away fixtures include a number of heavy defeats – seven goals scored, 24 conceded. Basel conceded five in each of their last two games in Spain – 5-0 at Valencia CF and 5-1 at Real Madrid CF, both games played in 2014.

Form guide
• Sevilla have won their last two European home games without conceding, and have prevailed in their last ten home fixtures in this competition. An eleventh successive UEFA Europa League home win would be a competition record.

• Basel have lost only once in six UEFA games on the road this season, that run including four wins and a scoring draw – all results which would be good enough to eliminate Sevilla.

• Sevilla won the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League for a record fourth time last term. No team have won three consecutive editions of a UEFA competition since FC Bayern München's third straight European Champion Clubs' Cup triumph in 1975/76. Sevilla are the first club to contest the UEFA Europa League round of 16 for three seasons running.

• Basel most recently played in the round of 16 in 2013/14, when they battled through to the last eight. Their best campaign in this competition came in 2012/13 when they progressed to the semi-finals, falling to eventual winners Chelsea FC.

Trivia and links
• The journey from Basel to Seville is just under 1,600km.

• This is Sevilla's 150th UEFA club competition game (their previous 149 ended W79 D30 L40) – and is taking place on defender Federico Fazio's 29th birthday.

• A summer recruit from beaten UEFA Europa League finalists FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Sevilla's Yevhen Konoplyanka can make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance in this game.

• The 2016 UEFA Europa League final will be held at Basel's St. Jakob-Park on 18 May. Two sides have played one-legged finals at their own stadiums in this competition – Feyenoord overcoming Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the 2002 showpiece in Rotterdam, and Sporting Clube de Portugal crashing 3-1 to PFC CSKA Moskva in the 2005 decider at their Estadio José Alvalade.

• Basel are the only reigning domestic champions left in this season's UEFA Europa League.

• Sevilla's Daniel Carriço has made more UEFA Europa League outings (group stage to final) than any other player, 51 in total.

• Basel's Marek Suchý and Sevilla's Nicolás Pareja were both central defenders at FC Spartak Moskva from 2010–14. Sevilla's Unai Emery coached both players at Spartak in 2012.

• Basel's Walter Samuel and Sevilla's Marco Andreolli were FC Internazionale Milano colleagues from 2013–14.

The coaches
• Unai Emery oversaw Sevilla's successes in the last two editions of the UEFA Europa League, having assumed control in January 2013. The one-time midfielder made his name in a four-year stay at the Valencia helm and briefly coached Spartak Moskva in 2012.

• Urs Fischer took charge of Basel this summer following Paulo Sousa's move to ACF Fiorentina. The former FC Zürich defender had already guided Zürich (2011/12) and FC Thun (2013/14) into the UEFA Europa League group stage, but this is the first time he has steered a team to the knockout phase.

Penalty shoot-outs
• Sevilla have won four of their five UEFA penalty shoot-outs (L1 at home – W2 away – W2 at neutral venues):
W 4-3 A v PAOK FC (1990/91 UEFA Cup first round)
W 3-1 N v RCD Espanyol (2006/07 UEFA Cup final)
L 3-2 H v Fenerbahçe SK (2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16)
W 4-3 A v Real Betis Balompié (2013/14 UEFA Cup round of 16)
W 4-2 N v SL Benfica (2013/14 UEFA Cup final)

• Basel won their only previous UEFA penalty shoot-out:
W 4-1 H v Tottenham Hotspur FC (2012/13 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals)