Liberec v PAOK background
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Article summary
Liberec scored the quickest goal in UEFA Europa League history on matchday one and may have to pull another fast one if they are to break down 0-0-draw masters PAOK in Group J.
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After scoring the fastest goal in UEFA Europa League history on matchday one, Slovan Liberec will look to catch 0-0-draw specialists PAOK cold in Group J.
Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time.
• Liberec's only previous encounter with Greek opposition came in the third round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, where they drew 2-2 at home and lost 1-0 away to Panathinaikos.
• PAOK's four games against Czech opponents have ended W2 D1 L1 (D1 L1 away from home).
Form guide
• Liberec won all four of their matches in qualifying and remain unbeaten this season in Europe following a 2-2 draw at Qarabağ on matchday one.
• Liberec have qualified in just one of their three previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group campaigns.
• PAOK drew 0-0 at home against Fiorentina on matchday one; four of their last seven group-stage fixtures have ended goalless. PAOK are joint top of the competition's charts for both draws (16, with Lazio) and goalless draws (7, with Liverpool).
• The Salonika outfit have qualified from three of their previous six UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Salonika to Liberec is around 1,300km.
• Liberec's Jan Sýkora notched the quickest ever goal in the UEFA Europa League on matchday one, 10.69 seconds into the game at Qarabağ.
• This match is taking place the day after Slovan defender Martin Latka (32) and PAOK counterpart Stelios Kitsou (23) celebrate birthdays.
• Latka played in Greece for Panionios from 2009–11.
The coaches
• Jindřich Trpišovský assumed control at Liberec in June 2015. The coach models himself on Liverpool's Jürgen Klopp. Once a youth coach at Sparta Praha, he previously led second-division Viktoria Žižkov, impressing despite the club's financial problems.
• Vladimir Ivić took charge at PAOK in March this year following a spell as the club's youth coach. An attacking midfielder, he won three Serbian titles with Partizan and played for AEK Athens and Aris Thessaloniki before a four-season PAOK stint.