Partizan v Asteras background

FK Partizan can only hope to end their UEFA Europa League campaign on a high as they take on third-ranked Asteras Tripolis FC in their final Group C game.

• Neither side can make it to the round of 32.

Form guide
• Fernando Usero and Facundo Parra scored in Asteras's 2-0 win against Partizan on matchday two.

• Partizan's only previous home game against Greek opponents ended in a 4-0 victory against Egaleo FC during the UEFA Cup group stage in 2004/05. Current Partizan captain Saša Ilić scored two of Partizan's goals in that match.

Trivia and links
• Asteras's Dorin Goian turns 34 the day after the Partizan game.

• Partizan's Saša Ilić played alongside Asteras's Facundo Parra while on loan at Larissa FC in 2009, and a number of other Partizan players have played for Greek clubs: Petar Grbić (Olympiacos FC, Levadiakos FC), Milan Lukač (AEK Athens FC) and Nenad Marinković (OFI Crete FC).

• Asteras are one of only four teams in the group stage who started out in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, along with FC Krasnodar, FC Dinamo Minsk and HNK Rijeka. This is their 12th European game this season, making this comfortably the longest of their three continental campaigns.

• Partizan have now failed to make it through six UEFA group stage campaigns since getting to the round of 16 via the inaugural UEFA Cup group stage in 2004/05.

The coaches
• Just 35, Marko Nikolić took charge of Partizan in December 2013, having started his career as a youth coach at FK Rad, going on to coach their senior team, plus Serbia's Under-18 side and FK Vojvodina.

• Asteras put their faith in coach Staikos Vergetis in 2013, with the 38-year-old renowned as a communicator – not least since he is fluent in several languages and has worked for the club as an interpreter, as well as a youth coach, match analyst and assistant coach. Born in Tripoli, he was denied his dream of a playing career by a serious knee injury.