Steaua v Zürich background

Steaua Bucureşti brought a halt to a losing streak on matchday two and will look to get their Group L campaign up and running in earnest as they welcome nervous travellers Zürich.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.

• Steaua's ten games against Swiss teams have ended W3 D5 L2; they have yet to lose at home against Swiss opposition (W3 D2).

• Zürich are without a win in five European away matches (D1 L4)

• Zürich's only experience of Romanian opponents came in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League group stage, where they drew 2-2 away to Vaslui and won the home leg 2-0.

Form guide
• Steaua's 1-1 home draw with Villarreal on matchday two stopped a run of three straight European defeats in which they conceded eight goals without scoring.

• Steaua have qualified for the round of 32 in four of their seven UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.

• Zürich have failed to get through this group stage in two attempts since making the cut on their first appearance in 2007/08.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Zurich to Bucharest is roughly 1,400km.

• Zürich were penalised for 49 fouls in the opening two matchdays – ten more than any other side.

• Zürich qualified for the UEFA Europa League as 2015/16 Swiss Cup winners, but were relegated from the Swiss Super League in the same season.

• Zürich defender Kay Voser lined up against Steaua with Basel in a 1-1 draw in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage.

The coaches
• Laurenţiu Reghecampf collected two titles as a midfielder with Steaua and two more in his first reign as coach, from 2012 to 2014. He returned to Bucharest in December 2015 after a stint in Bulgaria with Litex Lovech, with whom he won the championship as a player in 1998/99.

• Appointed Zürich coach in May following their demotion from the top flight, Uli Forte was a defender in Switzerland's lower leagues, climbing the managerial ladder with spells in charge of St Gallen, Grasshoppers and Young Boys.