Zenit v Rosenborg background

Standing up to Zenit in UEFA Europa League Group L looks like being a tough task for Rosenborg, the Russian club having hit eight goals already in the section.

Previous meetings
• The teams met in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup round of 32, Vlastimil Petržela's Zenit progressing with a 2-0 win in Trondheim and a 2-1 success against Per-Mathias Hogmø's side in St Petersburg.

• Zenit have won all four of their games against Norwegian clubs in UEFA competition, including those previous two against Rosenborg.

• Five of Rosenborg's six matches against Russian teams have ended in defeat (W1 L5), including all three of their previous games in Russia.

Form guide
• Zenit, Milan and Nice are the group stage's leading scorers with eight goals each – an average of four per game.

• Zenit put five unanswered goals past Vardar on matchday one before following up with a 3-1 win over visitors Real Sociedad. Against the same opponents, Rosenborg lost 4-0 to La Real in Spain, then beat Vardar 3-1.

• Norwegian champions in 2016 and current league leaders, Rosenborg are without a win in six group stage away matches (D1 L5) since a 2-1 victory at Rapid Wien in September 2012.

• UEFA Cup winners in 2008, Zenit finished third in Russia last term; they have competed in either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League group stage in every season since, and including, 2010/11, playing European football in the spring on each occasion.

• Rosenborg, who won both legs against last season's runners-up Ajax in the play-offs, have appeared in four UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns, but have yet to make it successfully through one – though they have got to the round of 32 via the UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Zenit have never been beaten at home in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final (W14 D1) – five shy of Sporting's competition record.

Trivia and links
• The journey from Trondheim to St Petersburg is around 1,100km.

• Milan's André Silva, Nice's Alassane Pléa and Zenit's Aleksandr Kokorin share top spot in the individual scorers' chart with four apiece.

• Zenit's Oleg Shatov can make his 50th UEFA club competition outing on matchday three.

• Rosenborg are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their foundation this year.

The coaches
• Roberto Mancini took charge of Zenit in June 2017. A European Cup Winners' Cup winner as a player with Sampdoria in 1989/90 and Lazio in 1998/99, he coached Internazionale and Manchester City to league championships, and more recently claimed a Turkish Cup at Galatasaray.

• Trondheim-born Kåre Ingebrigtsen has steered Rosenborg to two Norwegian titles since taking over in 2014. He played for the club in three spells as a midfielder, and was on the books at Manchester City from 1992–94.