Mainz v Gabala background
Monday, November 28, 2016
Article summary
Mainz and Gabala are already out of European competition ahead of their matchday six meeting, with the Azerbaijani side looking to end a 20-game losing streak against German opposition.
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Mainz and Gabala are already out of contention to reach the round of 32 ahead of their matchday six meeting in Germany.
Previous meetings
• Mainz won 3-2 when the sides met for the first time in Azerbaijan on matchday two – the German side's first, and only – group stage success to date.
• Gabala are facing Bundesliga opposition for the second time in as many UEFA Europa League campaigns. They lost 3-1 at home and 4-0 away to Borussia Dortmund in last term's competition.
• To date, all 20 UEFA fixtures (including seven UEFA club competition games) between Azerbaijani and German teams have been won by the German representative.
Form guide
• Mainz are unbeaten in their last four European home games, qualifying included – a 1-0 win and three 1-1 draws.
• Gabala are the only side who have lost all five of their group stage games this season. They will look to avoid becoming the fourth side to suffer a UEFA Europa League group stage whitewash (after Shamrock Rovers in 2011/12, and Slovan Bratislava and Metalist Kharkiv in 2014/15).
• Mainz are making their UEFA Europa League group stage debut.
• Gabala are yet to win a UEFA Europa League group game in 11 attempts. They picked up two points and scored just the two goals when they made their debut last term.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Gabala to Mainz is around 3,200km.
• Gabala defender Vitaliy Vernydub is the son of Yuriy Vernydub, who is coaching Zorya Luhansk in this season's group stage.
• Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Gabala are the only teams to advance from the first qualifying round to the group stage in this season's UEFA Europa League.
The coaches
• Martin Schmidt guided Mainz to an impressive sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga last season, his first in command of the senior team. A lower-league player in his native Switzerland, he managed Mainz's reserves from 2010–15.
• Gabala finished third in Azerbaijan last term in their first campaign under Ukrainian coach Roman Hrygorchuk. He made his name in management in Latvia and previously got through the UEFA Europa League group stage as boss of Chornomorets Odesa in 2013/14.
Chapecoense commemoration
Teams taking part in all of the matchday six UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League fixtures will observe a minute's silence to pay respect to the victims of last week's air disaster involving the Chapecoense team and accompanying delegation.
The Brazilian club lost most of their players and coaching staff in the accident, which occurred in Colombia, where Chapecoense were due to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional.
"European football is united in expressing its deepest sympathy to Chapecoense, the Brazilian Football Confederation [CBF], CONMEBOL and the families of all the victims," said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. "This tragedy has shaken the world of football, and we would like to send our support to all of those affected by it."