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Genk v Celta background

The UEFA Europa League semi-finals are within sight for outsiders Genk, who scored two away goals in the first leg to give them something to build on as they welcome Celta Vigo.

Genk's Mbwana Samatta tangles with Celta's Gustavo Cabral
Genk's Mbwana Samatta tangles with Celta's Gustavo Cabral ©AFP/Getty Images

Unbeaten at home in Europe this season, Genk have cause for optimism as they welcome Celta, having scored twice on the road in the first leg.

Previous meetings
Celta won 3-2 when the sides met for the first time in UEFA competition in the first leg.

• Genk's nine meetings with Spanish sides have ended W1 D4 L4, but they have not lost at home to a Spanish side (W1 D3 L0).

• Celta have yet to lose to a Belgian side. They faced Genk's domestic rivals Standard Liège in this season's UEFA Europa League group stage, drawing 1-1 home and away. Their overall record against Belgian teams is W3 D4 L0.

Form guide
• Genk are unbeaten in eight European home games this season (seven wins followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Gent in the round of 16) conceding just two goals in the process.

Highlights: See Celta take Genk advantage

• Celta have scored twice in each of their last four European away games, winning the three most recent ones by the same 2-0 scoreline.

• This is Genk's first experience of a major UEFA quarter-final (though they were UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finalists in 2004).

• Celta's last quarter-final came in 2000/01 when Barcelona barred their path to the last four of the UEFA Cup. They were one of the winners of the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup, but have never got as far as the semi-finals in a major European competition.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Vigo to Genk is not far off 1,500km.

• Misses next match if booked
Genk: Tino-Sven Šušić, Leandro Trossard
Celta: Iago Aspas, Théo Bongonda, John Guidetti, Nemanja Radoja

• Celta's Iago Aspas, Anderlecht's Łukasz Teodorczyk and United's Zlatan Ibrahimović are the highest-scoring players left in the competition with five goals each. Roma's Edin Džeko and Zenit's Giuliano top the rankings with eight.

• Celta's John Guidetti is one of three Swedes left in the competition, all of whom are aiming to play in the UEFA Europa League final in their nation's capital. United's Zlatan Ibrahimović and Anderlecht's Isaac Kiese Thelin are the other two.

• Genk signed Spanish youngster José Naranjo on loan from Celta during the winter, though the 22-year-old is ineligible for this game, having already featured in the UEFA Europa League for the Galician outfit this season.

Highlights: Genk 1-1 Gent

• Celta's Pablo Hernández is the most fouled player in this season's competition with 31 infringements against him in 822 minutes of football, meaning he has been fouled on average once every 26 and a half minutes.

• Celta's Belgian Under-21 international Theo Bongonda won three times and drew once in four appearances for Zulte-Waregem against Genk, scoring one goal.

• Genk have a Spanish midfielder, Alejandro Pozuelo, who played for Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano before joining the Blue-and-Whites in summer 2015.

• Genk's Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan also has a Spanish connection; he is on loan from Valencia.

• Belgium is the best represented nation in the quarter-finals, with two teams: Genk and Anderlecht. In the previous seven UEFA Europa League seasons, only two Belgian clubs got this far: Standard Liège in 2009/10 and Club Brugge in 2014/15.

The coaches
• Peter Maes took Genk to the round of 32 but was dismissed in late December after a disappointing run of league results.

• Genk's new boss is Albert Stuivenberg. Once a Feyenoord trainee, he later ran the club's academy, and led the Netherlands to UEFA European Under-17 Championship successes in 2011 and 2012. He was Louis van Gaal's assistant at Manchester United.

• Eduardo Berizzo played in the UEFA Champions League for Marseille and Celta, the former Argentina centre-back subsequently returning to Europe in 2014 to take charge of the Galician club. He guided them back into Europe with a sixth-place finish in 2015/16.

Penalty shoot-outs
• Genk have won both of their previous UEFA penalty shoot-outs:
W 4-2 A v Budućnost Podgorica (2016/17 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round)
W 4-1 H v Maccabi Haifa (2011/12 UEFA Champions League play-offs)

• Celta have yet to feature in a UEFA penalty shoot-out.