Gent v Konyaspor background

Gent host Konyaspor's first UEFA Europa League away fixture, with the Turkish side bidding to get their Group H campaign off the ground by ending the home team's unbeaten start to the campaign.

Previous meetings
• The clubs are meeting for the first time in what is Konyaspor's second UEFA competition game. Gent have never met Turkish opponents before.

• In 28 encounters between Belgian and Turkish clubs in Europe, the Belgian representatives' record is W11 D9 L8 (W7 D4 L3 in Belgium).

Form guide
• A 1-1 draw at Braga on matchday one leaves Gent still unbeaten in five European matches this season (W3 D2).

• Gent missed the cut in their sole previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, in 2010/11.

• Konyaspor lost 1-0 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday one in their first UEFA club competition game.

• Sassuolo and Konyaspor are the only sides in the 2016/17 group stage who are in their debut European seasons.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Konya to Gent is around 2,700km.

• Konyaspor's Bosnian midfielder Deni Milošević played club football in Belgium with Standard Liège (2013–16).

• Former team-mates:
Jérémy Perbet (Gent) & Dimitar Rangelov (Konyaspor) – Strasbourg, 2006–08
Rabiu Ibrahim (Gent) & Jagoš Vuković (Konyaspor) – PSV, 2012

The coaches
• Hein Vanhaezebrouck guided Gent to the Belgian title in 2014/15 and steered them into the UEFA Champions League round of 16 last term. He established his reputation during two periods in the dug-out of home-town team Kortrijk, for whom he had also played.

• A striker celebrated for his chest-and-volley goals for Fenerbahçe, Aykut Kocaman started his second spell as Konyaspor coach in 2014. He was in charge at Fenerbahçe from 2010–13, lifting a league title and two Turkish Cups.