Konyaspor v Braga background
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Article summary
With just a point and a goal between them after two games, first-timers Konyaspor and 2011 finalists Braga are already playing catch-up in UEFA Europa League Group H.
Article top media content
Article body
The have-nots of UEFA Europa League Group H meet for the first time on matchday three, with Konyaspor and Braga having just a point and a goal between them after two games.
Previous meetings
• This is the sides' first encounter and Konyaspor's first experience of Portuguese opposition.
• Braga's eight matches against Turkish teams have ended W5 L3 (W3 L1 in Turkey). They won on their first three trips to Turkey but that run came to a halt with a 1-0 defeat by Fenerbahçe in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 16. Even so, they won the home return leg 4-1 to progress.
Form guide
• Newcomers Konyaspor have lost both of their European games to date, without scoring.
• Sassuolo and Konyaspor are the only sides in the 2016/17 group stage who are in their debut European seasons.
• Braga have failed to score in five of their last six away fixtures in Europe.
• Losing finalists in 2011, Braga have made it through all five of their preceding UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League campaigns.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Braga to Konya is around 3,500km.
• Konyaspor's Ibrahim Sissoko and Braga's André Pinto were team-mates at Panathinaikos in 2012/13.
The coaches
• 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.
• José Peseiro returned for a second stint as Braga coach this summer, following a brief tenure at Porto. A lower-league forward, he was Carlos Queiroz's assistant at Real Madrid and later occupied the helms of Sporting, Panathinaikos and Rapid Bucureşti.