Timişoara facing steep task

VfB Stuttgart enter the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off round tie against FC Timişoara firmly in the driving seat following their 2-0 first-leg win in Romania.

• Stuttgart seized control of the tie through first-half goals by Timo Gebhart (penalty) and Aleksandr Hleb and to underline the size of Timişoara's task in southern Germany, Stuttgart have not relinquished a lead in their last 15 European ties in which they won the first leg.

Previous meetings

• Stuttgart's only previous encounter with a Romanian outfit ended in victory when they defeated FC Rapid Bucureşti 2-1 in the UEFA Cup group stage in 2005/06.

• Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel contested that match as a player, while Timişoara duo Valentin Bădoi and Artavazd Karamyan turned out for Rapid.

Match background

• The last time the German side surrendered a first-leg advantage was in the first round of the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League when they beat Leeds United AFC 3-0 at home only to lose 4-1 in England.

• Although technically through on away goals, Stuttgart had fielded an ineligible player in Leeds meaning the English club were awarded a 3-0 default victory. Stuttgart lost the resulting play-off between the sides 2-1 in Barcelona.

• Runners-up in Romania's Liga 1 last term, Timişoara defeated UEFA Cup holders FC Shakhtar Donetsk on away goals in the third qualifying round – drawing 2-2 in Ukraine, then 0-0 at home.

• While Timişoara are chasing a first appearance in the UEFA Champions League, hosts Stuttgart are looking to secure their third participation in the group stage after gaining automatic access in both 2003/04 and 2007/08.

Team ties

• Former Romanian international forward Ioan Viorel Ganea played for both teams, turning out for Stuttgart between 1999 and 2003 and spending the 2007/08 campaign at Timişoara.

• Timişoara defender Balász Borbély featured in a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart while on loan with 1. FC Kaiserslautern in March 2006.

• Stuttgart's Thomas Hitzlsperger and Timişoara's Gheorghe Bucur were on opposite sides when Germany beat Romania 3-1 in a friendly on 12 September 2007, though they were not on the pitch at the same time.