Celta Vigo v Genk background

Celta Vigo and Genk are hoping to make it to the last four of a major UEFA competition for the first time as they come together in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

Previous meetings
• The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.

• Celta faced Genk's domestic rivals Standard Liège in this season's UEFA Europa League group stage, drawing 1-1 home and away. Their overall record against Belgian teams is W2 D4 L0.

• Genk's eight meetings with Spanish sides have ended W1 D4 L3 (W1 D3 L0 at home – W0 D1 L3 in Spain). They have already lost in Spain this season, going down 5-3 at Athletic Club in the group stage, with home striker Aritz Aduriz becoming the first player to score five goals in a UEFA Europa League match.

Form guide
• Celta's home form this season has been unremarkable (W2 D2 L1), but they have won their last three UEFA Europa League away games 2-0.

• Genk have scored at least twice in each of their last seven continental away fixtures and are unbeaten at home in Europe this season (W7 D1).

• Celta's last quarter-final came in 2000/01 when Barcelona barred their path to the last four of the UEFA Cup. They were one of the winners of the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup, but have never got as far as the semi-finals in a major European competition.

• This is Genk's first experience of a major UEFA quarter-final (though they were UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finalists in 2004).

Links and trivia
• The journey from Genk to Vigo is not far off 1,500km.

• Celta's John Guidetti is one of three Swedes left in the competition, all of whom are aiming to play in the UEFA Europa League final in their nation's capital. United's Zlatan Ibrahimović and Anderlecht's Isaac Kiese Thelin are the other two.

• Genk signed Spanish youngster José Naranjo on loan from Celta during the winter, though the 22-year-old is ineligible for this game, having already featured in the UEFA Europa League for the Galician outfit this season.

• Celta's Pablo Hernández is the most fouled player in this season's UEFA Europa League with 26 infringements against him in 732 minutes of football: the equivalent to a foul against him every 28 or so minutes.

• Celta's Belgian Under-21 international Theo Bongonda won three times and drew once in four appearances for Zulte-Waregem against Genk, scoring one goal.

• Genk have a Spanish midfielder, Alejandro Pozuelo, who played for Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano before joining the Blue-and-Whites in summer 2015.

• Genk's Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan also has a Spanish connection; he is on loan from Valencia.

• Belgium is the best represented nation in the quarter-finals, with two teams: Genk and Anderlecht. In the previous seven UEFA Europa League seasons, only two Belgian clubs got this far: Standard Liège in 2009/10 and Club Brugge in 2014/15.

The coaches
• Eduardo Berizzo played in the UEFA Champions League for Marseille and Celta, the former Argentina centre-back subsequently returning to Europe in 2014 to take charge of the Galician club. He guided them back into Europe with a sixth-place finish in 2015/16.

• Peter Maes took Genk to the round of 32 but was dismissed in late December after a disappointing run of league results.

• Genk's new boss is Albert Stuivenberg. Once a Feyenoord trainee, he later ran the club's academy, and led the Netherlands to UEFA European Under-17 Championship successes in 2011 and 2012. He was Louis van Gaal's assistant at Manchester United.