İstanbul Başakşehir v Hoffenheim background

Istanbul Başakşehir have only one point on the board in UEFA Europa League Group C as they host a Hoffenheim side that secured their first European win when they defeated the Turkish side 3-1 in Germany on matchday three.

Previous meetings
• All the goals came in the second half at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena as Benjamin Hübner, Nadiem Amiri and Nico Schulz found the net before the visitors scored a consolation goal in added time from Stefano Napoleoni.

• Prior to that match neither club had played a team from their opponents' country.

Form guide
• Istanbul Başakşehir have won only one of their 13 UEFA fixtures – 2-0 at home to Club Brugge in this season's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. They are without a victory in the UEFA Europa League; this is their tenth match in the competition.

• Hoffenheim have lost both of their European away games to date – 4-2 against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League play-offs and 2-1 at Ludogorets on UEFA Europa League matchday two.

• Eliminated by Sevilla 4-3 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, Istanbul Başakşehir are making their UEFA group stage debut this term.

• Beaten by Liverpool home and away in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, Hoffenheim are contesting the UEFA Europa League group stage in what is the club's first season in European competition.

Trivia and links
• The journey from Sinsheim to Istanbul is around 1,800km.

• Istanbul Başakşehir's Tunay Torun was born in Hamburg, and played for Hamburg (2008–11), Hertha (2011–12) – alongside Hoffenheim's Schulz – and Stuttgart (2012–13) in the German Bundesliga.

• Alparslan Erdem was also born in Germany, in Vechta, and was a trainee at Werder Bremen (2003–08) before heading to Turkey.

• Suspended for next match if booked: Júnior Caiçara (İstanbul Başakşehir); Dennis Geiger (Hoffenheim)

The coaches
• Abdullah Avcı led Turkey to success in the 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Championship before taking the Istanbul Başakşehir reins for the first time from 2006–11. He returned to the club in 2014 following an unsuccessful stint as Turkey boss.

• Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann's playing career ended prematurely due to persistent knee problems, but he shone as a youth coach and – aged 28 – took charge of Hoffenheim in 2016, becoming the Bundesliga's youngest-ever senior boss.