Olić heads for home with Hamburg

Ivica Olić faces a trip down memory lane as NK Dinamo Zagreb and Hamburger SV meet for the first time in 37 years with last 32 hopes still alive.

• The 28-year-old Hamburg forward Olić started his career in his native Croatia at NK Marsonia but made his name by scoring 16 goals in 27 games for Dinamo in the 2002/03 season.

• That earned him a move to PFC CSKA Moskva, where he won three Russian titles before moving on to Hamburg in January 2007.

• Dinamo and Hamburg have never met in UEFA club competition.

• They did, however, meet in the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the non-UEFA affiliated predecessor to the UEFA Cup. Dinamo won the home leg of the second round tie 4-0, with Hamburg winning 1-0 in the return. Dinamo were knocked out in the next round by FC Twente.

• Dinamo have played nine games against German sides in UEFA club competition, and the results are not encouraging. Of those games they have drawn two and lost seven, while at home they have drawn one and lost three.

• They have already played a German side this season, meeting Werder Bremen in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, losing 2-1 at the Weserstadion and 3-2 at home to bow out of the competition, and start their UEFA Cup journey.

• Hamburg, meanwhile, played Dinamo's arch-rivals HNK Hajduk Split in the 1979/80 European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-finals, progressing on away goals after a 1-0 home win and a 3-2 defeat in the then Yugoslavia.

• Those fixtures represent their only experience of Croatian opposition.

• Dinamo drew their opening home game 0-0 against FC Basel 1893 and then lost 2-1 at SK Brann on Matchday 3. However, while they are currently fourth in Group D, wins in their remaining games against Hamburg and Stade Rennais FC would put Branko Ivanković's side into the knockout phase.

• With wins in their opening section games against Brann and Rennes, Hamburg need only a draw in Zagreb to be sure of a place in the last 32.

• Hamburg coach Huub Stevens has agreed to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer to take over at PSV Eindhoven. "The move will enable me to be closer to my family, especially my wife," said the Dutch coach.

• Dinamo defender Gordon Schildenfeld will be suspended for the game after being sent off in the 2-1 defeat at Brann.

• Basel are at home against Brann in Wednesday's other Group D game.