Salzburg and Basel too close to call

FC Salzburg will look to keep their 100% home record in this season's UEFA Europa League intact as they take on FC Basel 1893, with the two sides having cancelled each other out in their round of 16 opener.

• The 0-0 draw in Switzerland was the only goalless tie of the round of 16 first legs, and ended Salzburg's ten-game winning run since the start of this season's play-offs.

Previous meetings
• The sides met for the first time on matchday nine.

• Salzburg have played five games against Swiss clubs in UEFA competition with the record W2 D1 L2 (W2 D0 D0 at home). They have made it through both of their previous two-legged ties against Swiss opponents without the need for extra time, away goals or penalties.

• Basel's five European games against Austrian clubs have ended W3 D1 L1 (W2 D0 L0 in Austria). They are unbeaten in four games against Austrian clubs (W3 D1) since a 3-1 loss at home to SSW Innsbruck (now FC Wacker Innsbruck) in September 1977.

• Swiss clubs have the better record in 25 UEFA fixtures against Austrian opponents, boasting the record W10 D9 L6 (W3 D5 L4 in Austria).

Match background
• Salzburg set a new UEFA Europa League record with their home victory against AFC Ajax in the round of 32 second leg as they became the only team to win their first eight matches – all six in the group stage plus both legs in the round of 32. They are unbeaten in seven European home games (W6 D1), including triumphs in all five of their UEFA Europa League fixtures this season.

• Basel missed out on a UEFA Champions League round of 16 place following a 2-0 loss at FC Schalke 04 on matchday six, moving into the UEFA Europa League, where they ousted Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC 3-0 over two legs in the round of 32.

• Basel are without a win in three European away games (D2 L1) since a shock 2-1 victory at Chelsea FC in their opening 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture.

• Basel reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last term – their best performance in a major UEFA competition, though they played in one of the finals of the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Team facts
• Salzburg defender Franz Schiemer celebrates his 28th birthday the day after the game.

• Salzburg are the highest scoring side in the competition this season with 21 goals – two more than Tottenham Hotspur FC. They have also had the most shots on (68) and off target (60) in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League.

• Salzburg goalkeeper Pétér Gulácsi is one of only three players left in the competition who have featured in all 810 minutes of their sides' campaign since the start of the group stage. The others are AZ midfielder Nemanja Gudelj and Ludogorets right-back Júnior Caiçara.

• Salzburg's Jonatan Soriano is the top scorer in this season's UEFA Europa League with seven goals, averaging one every 70 minutes.

• Team-mates Kevin Kampl and Alan have the most assists of any players left in the competition (four each), and Alan has also had the most attempts on target (13) of any player still involved.

• Salzburg's Sadio Mané has been caught offside more often than any other player in this season's competiton (12 times) and is also the most fouled player left in the competition, drawing 30 illegal challenges. Mané scored the UEFA Europa League's 2,500th goal as he rounded off the scoring in a 3-0 home win against Esbjerg fB on matchday six.

• Salzburg boast Swiss talent in the form of midfielder Christian Schwegler, who played for FC Luzern and BSC Young Boys before moving to Austria in 2009.

• Basel are among five domestic champions in the round of 16 along with Juventus (Italy), Ludogorets (Bulgaria), FC Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic) and FC Porto (Portugal).

• Salzburg and Tottenham came through this season's group stage with 100% records. Only three other sides have won all six of their group matches since the advent of the UEFA Europa League: Salzburg (2009/10), FC Zenit (2010/11) and RSC Anderlecht (2011/12).

Coach information
• Salzburg coach Roger Schmidt agreed a two-year contract extension in December, binding him to the club until 2016. A lower-league midfielder in his native Germany, he combined football with work as an apprentice toolmaker before studying mechanical engineering. He moved into coaching with Delbrücker SC, SC Preussen Münster and SC Paderborn 07 before signing for Salzburg in 2012.

• Capped 49 times as a central defender by Switzerland, coach Murat Yakin was born in Basel but started his playing career with Grasshopper Club. He played for VfB Stuttgart and Fenerbahçe SK, but finished his career at Basel – where his brother Hakan Yakin also played. He got his first senior coaching appointment in 2009, leading FC Thun and later FC Luzern before taking charge of Basel and leading them to the 2012/13 Swiss title – his sixth in total following five triumphs as a player.

Shoot-out record
• Salzburg won their only previous UEFA competition penalty shoot-out, 5-4 at Eintracht Frankurt in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

• Basel won their only previous UEFA competition penalty shoot-out, 4-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur FC in last season's UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.