Villarreal v Zürich background

Villarreal and Zürich are coming together for a third time in the UEFA Europa League group stage, their previous two encounters having produced five goals apiece.

Previous meetings
• The sides met in two high-scoring games in the UEFA Europa League group stage in 2014/15; Marcelino's Villarreal won 4-1 at home but went down 3-2 to Urs Meier's side back in Switzerland.

• Current Zürich players Olivier Buff and Marco Schönbachler (with his only UEFA club competition goal to date) were on target in those games, along with Villarreal's Bruno Soriano.

Form guide
• UEFA Europa League semi-finalists last season, Villarreal's seven-game European winning streak at home ended with a 2-1 loss to Monaco in this season's UEFA Champions League play-offs.

• The Yellow Submarine have made it through to the round of 32 in all six of their previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.

• Zürich are without a win in four European away games (D1 L3).

• Zürich have failed to make it through this group stage in two attempts since making the cut in their first appearance in 2007/08.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Zurich to Villarral is just shy of 1,100km.

• Villarreal's Colombian forward Rafael Borré turns 21 on the day of the Zürich game.

The coaches
• Fran Escribá took charge at Villarreal in August. A trainee at Valencia, he coached with the club's youth teams, and was Quique Sánchez Flores's assistant at Valencia, Getafe, Benfica and Atlético Madrid before going it alone with Elche and – last season – Getafe.

• Hired as Zürich coach in May following their relegation from the Swiss top division, Uli Forte was a defender in Switzerland's lower leagues, climbing the ladder as a coach with spells in charge of St Gallen, Grasshoppers and Young Boys.