Astra v Austria Wien background
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Article summary
Romanian champions for the first time last season, Astra Giurgiu come into their opening Group E fixture against Austria Wien unbeaten in seven European games.
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![Astra's Filipe Teixeira celebrates a goal in the play-offs Astra's Filipe Teixeira celebrates a goal in the play-offs](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0230-0e94daee287d-62a1f67d6416-1000/format/wide1/filipe_teixeira_s_away_goal_was_enough_to_see_astra_knock_out_west_ham_for_the_second_season_in_succession_this_time_2-1_on_aggregate.jpeg?imwidth=158)
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Astra Giurgiu will be wary of Austria Wien's fine European away record this term as they host the Viennese team in UEFA Europa League Group E.
Previous meetings
• This is the clubs' first meeting in UEFA competition.
• Astra's only previous experience of Austrian opposition was a disappointing one, the Romanian side losing 5-1 away and 2-1 at home to Salzburg in the 2014/15 group stage.
• Austria's record in nine matches against Romanian teams is W3 D3 L3 (D2 L2 away).
Form guide
• Astra are unbeaten in their last seven European home games (W3 D4).
• Astra were eliminated at the end of their only previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign in 2014/15.
• Austria have won all three of their European away fixtures this season.
• Austria have failed to progress in their last four UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns since making it to the last eight in 2004/05.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Vienna to Giurgiu is around 900km.
The coaches
• Marius Șumudică steered Astra to a maiden Romanian title in 2015/16, having previously won the league as a player with Rapid Bucureşti in 1998/99. He played in Portugal, Hungary and Cyprus as a striker, and has coached in Greece and the United Arab Emirates.
• A four-time Bundesliga winner as a Bayern München midfielder, Thorsten Fink has been in charge at Austria Wien since 2015. Twice a league champion in Switzerland as Basel coach between 2009 and 2011, he subsequently occupied the helm at Hamburg and APOEL.