Krasnodar v Wolfsburg background

FC Krasnodar take on German opponents for the first time as they continue their quest for a maiden UEFA Europa League Group H victory, against VfL Wolfsburg.

Form guide
• Wolfsburg have not won in two previous visits to Russia.

• Krasnodar remain unbeaten in four European home games (W3 D1), though they lost their 100% record – and conceded their first continental home goal – in the 1-1 matchday two draw with Everton FC.

• A 1-1 draw against LOSC Lille on matchday two ended a three-game European losing streak for Wolfsburg, though they have not won since their last encounter with Russian opponents – beating FC Rubin Kazan 2-1 in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 16.

Trivia and links
• Wolfsburg's Croatian striker Ivica Olić knows Russian football well having represented PFC CSKA Moskva from 2003 to 2007, winning three league titles, two Russian Cups and the UEFA Cup in 2005.

• Krasnodar are one of only four teams in the group stage who started out in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round along with Asteras Tripolis FC, FC Dinamo Minsk and HNK Rijeka.

The coaches
• Krasnodar coach Oleg Kononov was a journeyman player who established his reputation as a coach by helping FC Sheriff win three Moldovan league titles while serving as an assistant between 2005 and 2008. He steered FC Karpaty Lviv into the UEFA Europa League in 2010/11, and took charge at Krasnodar in 2013.

• At one stage a lower-league midfielder and trainee policeman, Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking is back in Europe for the first time since leading second-tier TSV Alemannia Aachen into the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage. More recently, he has coached Hannover 96 and 1. FC Nürnberg, taking up his current post in December 2012.