Mainz v St-Étienne background

St-Étienne will seek to make it three wins in as many European away games this term when they take on Mainz in UEFA Europa League Group C.

Previous meetings
• This is the clubs' first meeting in UEFA competition and Mainz's maiden encounter with French opposition.

• St-Étienne have lost over half of their 17 matches against German teams, their record reading: W3 D5 L9 (W1 L7 away). Those fixtures include a 1-0 reverse against Bayern München in the 1976 European Cup final in Glasgow.

Form guide
• Mainz's record in five European home fixtures to date is W3 D1 L1; the only side to have beaten them at home in UEFA competition is Sevilla, en route to lifting the 2005/06 UEFA Cup.

• Mainz are making their UEFA Europa League group stage debut.

• St-Étienne are undefeated in four European games this season, registering two home draws and two away wins in qualifying ties against AEK Athens and Beitar Jerusalem.

• St-Étienne have qualified in two of their previous three UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group campaigns.

Links and trivia
• The journey from St-Etienne to Mainz is just shy of 600km.

The coaches
• Martin Schmidt guided Mainz to an impressive sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga last season, his first in command of the senior team. A lower-league player in his native Switzerland, he managed Mainz's reserves from 2010–15.

• St-Étienne coach since 2009, Christophe Galtier steered Les Verts to French League Cup success in 2012/13. He had worked as assistant to Alain Perrin at St-Étienne before getting the senior job. Originally a defender, he started his playing career at home-town club Marseille.