Slovan hoping to open account at Young Boys

BSC Young Boys are embarking on their third UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, while this is the second time their Group I guests ŠK Slovan Bratislava have reached this stage.

Form guide
• Slovan have yet to win in three away encounters with Swiss sides (D1 L2), while Young Boys were comfortable winners in their only previous home fixture against Slovakian opponents – beating DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda 3-1 in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987.

• Young Boys are on a four-game winning streak at home in Europe since losing 5-3 at home against Liverpool FC during the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Slovan have won just one of their last 12 European away fixtures (W1 D6 L5), and have scored in only one of their last five continental away games.

Trivia and links
• Slovan are the only Slovakian side to have won a major European trophy – the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1968/69 – and seven of their players featured in Czechoslovakia's victorious 1976 UEFA European Championship squad.

• Slovan's only previous group stage campaign was in 2011/12, when they picked up just one point from six games. As for Young Boys, it is their third tilt at this group stage: they made it to the round of 32 in 2010/11 but narrowly missed out in 2012/13 despite picking up ten points.

The coaches
• A one-time central defender, Young Boys coach Uli Forte is enjoying his first foray in Europe. Having moved into coaching as player-manager at FC Red Star Zürich, he took charge of FC Wil 1900, FC St Gallen and Grasshopper Club before taking command at Young Boys in 2013.

• Slovan coach František Straka spent the best years of his playing career with AC Sparta Praha and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, picking up 35 caps for Czechoslovakia along the way. The former defender's coaching adventures include spells in Austria, Greece, Australia and Poland, as well as a one-match stint as Czech national team boss.