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Académica target rare away victory to finish

A. Académica de Coimbra are already eliminated, but can record a first away win in European competition in more than four decades when they visit Group B rivals Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC.

John Ogu's (right) Académica want to finish with a flourish
John Ogu's (right) Académica want to finish with a flourish ©AFP/Getty Images

Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC and A. Académica de Coimbra are playing for pride, with both sides out of contention for the top spots in Group B and places in the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Group B permutations
• Club Atlético de Madrid are through and need a point to win the group.

• FC Viktoria Plzeň are also through and will top the section if they beat Atlético.

Académica and Hapoel are out.

Previous meetings
• The clubs drew 1-1 when they first met on matchday two, in what was Académica's first encounter with Israeli opponents. Salim Cissé's sensational effort two minutes into the second period looked like being enough for the home side, but Omer Damari's 92nd-minute header saved a point for Hapoel.

• Hapoel's only previous experience of Portuguese teams came in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage when they lost 2-0 at SL Benfica but beat the Eagles 3-0 in the return fixture.

Match background
• Hapoel have lost both of their Group B home games and are without a goal in their last two matches in the competition.

• Académica have lost their last five European away games since a 1-0 win at KuPS Kuopio in the first round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup on 1 October 1969; their only victory on the road in UEFA competition. That means they have gone over 43 years without a European away win.

Team facts
• Hapoel captain Walid Badier has made 67 appearances in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League and is fourth in the all-time standings. He needs two more appearances to join former FC Internazionale Milano goalkeeper Walter Zenga in third place.

• Yossi Abuksis took over as Hapoel coach ahead of matchday two, with his predecessor Nitzan Shirazi taking up a role as the club's general manager due to health issues. Capped 35 times as a midfielder, Abuksis won a league title as a Hapoel player, and two more at Beitar Jerusalem FC. He was assistant coach at Hapoel (2008–11), and took sole command at Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC in 2011/12. He is working at Hapoel in tandem with a role as assistant to Israel coach Eli Guttman.

• Born in Angola, ex-defender Pedro Emanuel helped Boavista FC win their only league title in 2000/01, before he claimed five more championships as a player with FC Porto, as well as the 2002/03 UEFA Cup and 2003/04 UEFA Champions League. Assistant to André Villas-Boas at Porto in 2010/11, he took sole command of Académica the following season and guided the side to Portuguese Cup glory – their first trophy since 1939.

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