Zorya v Fenerbahçe background

Zorya Luhansk face a stern test in their debut match in a UEFA group stage as they play host to European regulars Fenerbahçe.

Previous meetings
• This UEFA Europa League Group A fixture is the clubs' first meeting in UEFA competition and Zorya's maiden encounter with Turkish opposition.

• Fenerbahçe have not won in six games (D3 L3) against Ukrainian teams, all of them versus Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kyiv.

• Most recently, the Yellow Canaries lost 3-0 to Shakhtar last term in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Form guide
• Zorya's record in seven European home matches since they made their continental debut in 1973/74 is W3 D2 L2.

• This is Zorya's maiden UEFA group stage campaign.

• Semi-finalists in 2012/13, Fenerbahçe successfully negotiated all four of their previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.

• Fenerbahçe won their two fixtures in this season's qualifying competition without conceding, beating Grasshoppers 5-0 on aggregate.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Istanbul to Odessa, where Zorya are playing their European games, is around 625km across the Black Sea.

The coaches
• Yuriy Vernydub has been in charge at Zorya since stepping up from his role as assistant coach in November 2011. A Russian Cup winner with Zenit in 1999, towards the end of his playing career, he steered Zorya to a fourth-placed finish in Ukraine last season.

• Dick Advocaat is in his first term with Fenerbahçe. The one-time Oranje coach has amassed domestic league titles in the Netherlands (with PSV), Scotland (Rangers) and Russia (Zenit), having also led Zenit to glory in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.