Osmanlıspor v Zürich background

In the group stage for the first time, Osmanlıspor are within sight of the UEFA Europa League round of 32 although matchday six opponents Zürich also have hopes of progressing from Group L, where all four sides are separated by a single point.

• Osmanlıspor are through with a win or draw, or with any result if the other game between Villarreal and Steaua Bucureşti is drawn. The Turkish team would top any three-way tie involving Villarreal and Steaua.

• Zürich are through with a victory.

Previous meetings
• Zürich won 2-1 when they met Osmanlıspor for the first time, on 29 September; the Ankara side's first encounter with Swiss opposition was also coach Mustafa Akçay's first defeat in 20 UEFA club competition matches.

• Zürich's record in six games against Turkish teams is W2 D2 L2 (L2 in Turkey).

• Zürich's first involvement with Turkish opponents, in the 1963/64 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round, produced plenty of drama. They traded 2-0 home victories with Galatasaray, prompting a replay on neutral territory in Rome. It was 1-1 after 90 minutes, then 2-2 after 120, leading to Zürich winning on a coin toss.

Form guide
• Osmanlıspor remain unbeaten at home in Europe this season (W4 D1, with clean sheets in all of those wins).

• Zürich are without a victory in their last six European away fixtures (D2 L4).

• This is Osmanlıspor's first UEFA group stage venture; they previously competed in Europe under the name Ankaraspor.

• Zürich have failed to make it through the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League group stage in two attempts since making the cut on their first appearance in 2007/08.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Zurich to Ankara is around 2,100km.

• Zürich centre-back Ivan Kecojević played in Turkey for Gaziantepspor (2012–14).

• Zürich have committed 111 fouls in the first five matchdays – 13 more than any other side in this season's group phase.

• Zürich qualified for the UEFA Europa League as winners of the 2015/16 Swiss Cup, but were relegated from the Swiss Super League in the same season.

The coaches
• Hired in July 2015, Mustafa Akçay earned Osmanlıspor European qualification with a fifth-placed finish last term. He had been in charge of a number of lower-profile teams in Turkey before guiding Trabzonspor through the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Appointed Zürich coach in May following their demotion from the Swiss top flight, Uli Forte was a defender in Switzerland's lower leagues, climbing the ladder as a coach with spells managing St Gallen, Grasshoppers and Young Boys.

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."