Sheriff v København background
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Article summary
Sheriff will look to put an end to a drawing streak in Group F as they take on København, with both fixtures in the section having ended goalless on matchday one.
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Sheriff will look to put an end to a drawing streak in UEFA Europa League Group F as they take on København, with both fixtures in the section having ended goalless on matchday one.
Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time; this is also the first UEFA men's senior meeting between Danish and Moldovan clubs.
• Nine games have been played between Danish and Moldovan sides in other UEFA competitions – youth, women's and futsal: club and national – producing seven Danish wins, one Moldovan success and a draw.
Form guide
• Sheriff's 0-0 draw at Zlín on matchday one was their third successive stalemate in UEFA competition – and extended their wait for a European victory to six games: D4 L2.
• København have lost three of their last four European away fixtures (W1 L3) without scoring.
• Moldovan champions Sheriff featured in the 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2013/14 UEFA Europa League group stages, but are yet to appear in the spring phase of a UEFA competition.
• Beaten by Qarabağ in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, København have failed to progress in their last three UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Copenhagen to Tiraspol is around 1,500km.
• The game is taking place the day after Sheriff's Alexandru Epureanu turns 31.
• København goalkeeper Robin Olsen and Sheriff midfielder Jairo were team-mates in Greece at PAOK (2015–16), and played together in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
• Sheriff defender Petru Racu briefly played in Denmark with Hjørring in 2012.
The coaches
• In charge of Sheriff since October 2016, Roberto Bordin is best known in his native Italy for his long career as a midfielder, taking in spells at Atalanta, Napoli and Piacenza. He was 40 when he finally hung up his boots at Spezia in 2005.
• Ståle Solbakken's second coaching tenure at København began in 2013. He has won seven Danish titles with FCK, including five in his first spell from 2006 to 2011. The former Norway midfielder has also led Köln and Wolverhampton.