Rubin put unbeaten record on line at Partizan
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Article summary
FC Rubin Kazan have already won the section and the Russian club can complete an unbeaten run through Group H if they avoid defeat on their matchday six trip to FK Partizan.
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FK Partizan need a win to be certain of finishing third in UEFA Europa League Group H as they meet section winners FC Rubin Kazan, who have one of the highest points totals in the competition.
Group H permutations
• Rubin are through as group winners due to their superior head-to-head over Inter.
• FC Internazionale Milano are through as runners-up.
• Partizan and Neftçi PFK are out.
Previous meetings
• Rubin beat Partizan 2-0 on matchday two in what was their first meeting with a Serbian side. Goals either side of half-time from Gökdeniz Karadeniz and Aleksandr Ryazantsev did the damage as Kurban Berdyev's team dictated play from start to finish. Partizan have now lost all three of their games in Russia by that same scoreline.
• Partizan's five games against Russian sides have yet to produce a victory, with their record reading W0 D1 L4 (W0 D1 L1 at home – W0 D0 L3 in Russia). They went behind inside the first 20 minutes in both of those previous home games.
Match background
• Partizan's three home games in Europe this season have ended W1 D1 L1; they beat Tromsø IL 1-0 in the play-offs, were held 0-0 by PFK Neftçi on matchday one, then lost 3-1 to FC Internazionale Milano on matchday four.
• Rubin are on a four-game winning streak in Group H, having not conceded in that run. They have picked up 13 points, which makes them – along with Fenerbahçe SK, FC Metalist Kharkiv and Olympique Lyonnais – one of the four most successful sides in this season's group stage.
• Rubin's 1-0 win at Neftçi was their only victory in their last five UEFA away games, which also produced two draws and two defeats.
Team facts
• Partizan defender Sreten Stretenović (FC Kuban Krasnodar) and midfielder Zvonimir Vukić (FC Moskva) have both played for Russian clubs.
• Partizan coach Vladimir Vermezović started his career as a defender for the club, moving abroad later to play for Real Sporting de Gijón, UD Salamanca, Panionios GSS and Hannover 96. He then coached Partizan feeder club FK Teleoptik before taking charge of the senior side from 2004 to 2005, returning in 2012 following spells at FC Spartak Trnava and South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs FC.
• Kurban Berdyev has been coach of Rubin since 2001, leading the club to successive Russian titles in 2008 and 2009 and a Russian Cup in 2012. Previously a defender and midfielder in the top Soviet league with SKA Rostov-na-Donu and FC Kairat Almaty, he coached teams in Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan before leading Rubin into Russia's top division.
