Sevilla ready to cement advantage at Spartak Moskva

Sevilla FC will look to consolidate their position at the top of Group E as they make the trip to FC Spartak Moskva, who are seeking to end a winless run in Europe lasting almost five years.

• The Spanish club have four points from two games so far, having registered their first victory via a 3-0 home win against NK Maribor on matchday two. Spartak have drawn both matches to date and are level on points with Liverpool FC, who they held 1-1 in their most recent fixture.

• This is the sides' first meeting.

Match background

Spartak Moskva
• Spartak have lost their last three games against Spanish clubs, most recently going down away (2-3) and home (0-3) against FC Barcelona in the 2012/13 group stage.

• Spartak are without a win in their last six fixtures against Liga sides, home and away (D2 L4), since a 1-0 victory at RCD Mallorca in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup third round second leg (1-3 aggregate). That is their only success in their last ten fixtures with Spanish sides (D2 L7).

• The Russian club's record at home to Spanish clubs is W3 D6 L4. They are without a win in their last five matches (D2 L3), since a 1-0 defeat of Real Madrid CF in the 2000/01 first group stage.

• This is Spartak's 12th group stage campaign, and first since 2012/13, when they came fourth in a section also including FC Barcelona, SL Benfica and Celtic FC. They have not graced the last 16 since 2000/01, when they reached the second group stage.

• On each of their last two group stage appearances, in 2010/11 and 2012/13, Spartak lost two home games and won the other.

• Before the Liverpool draw, Spartak had lost their previous three European home matches; they have now lost four of the last six. They have won only four of their last 18 home games, losing 11.

• The Moscow club qualified automatically for the group stage by lifting their 22nd league title in 2016/17. Last term, their European campaign ended at the first hurdle, with defeat by AEK Larnaca FC in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

• Spartak are without a win in their last nine European fixtures, home and away, since a 2-1 victory over Benfica on 23 October 2012. Their record since then is D4 L5.

Sevilla
• Sevilla have lost only one of their last eight games (W4 D3) against Russian clubs, 2-1 at home to PFC CSKA Moskva in the 2009/10 round of 16 second leg (2-3 aggregate).

• Their most recent fixtures came in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, when they beat FC Zenit 4-3 on aggregate (2-1 home, 2-2 away) en route to lifting the trophy.

• Sevilla's overall record against Russian clubs is W5 D4 L3. Away it is W1 D4 L2 – the sole victory was a 1-0 success at FC Lokomotiv Moskva in the round of 32 of their victorious 2005/06 UEFA Cup campaign.

• Having drawn 2-2 at Liverpool on matchday one, Sevilla's sole defeat in their last nine away matches in UEFA competition (W3 D5) was a 2-0 reverse at Leicester City FC in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg, completing a 3-2 aggregate loss.

• Last term, Sevilla made it to the round of 16 for the first time since 2009/10 – but they have never gone further in the UEFA Champions League era. This is their fifth group stage campaign and their third in a row.

• Sevilla qualified by finishing fourth in the 2016/17 Spanish Liga. They beat Turkey's İstanbul Başakşehir in August's play-offs, winning the away first leg 2-1 before a 2-2 draw in southern Spain.

Coach and player links
• Sevilla coach Eduardo Berizzo got the better of Russian opposition with RC Celta de Vigo in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 16, beating FC Krasnodar 2-1 at home and 2-0 away.

• Nicolás Pareja played for Spartak between 2010 and 2013, making 47 league appearances and scoring three times.

• Luis Muriel and Joaquín Correa were team-mates with Fernando at UC Sampdoria in 2015/16.

• Mario Pašalić spent 2014/15 at Elche CF, playing 64 minutes of a 3-0 defeat at Sevilla on 15 March 2015.

• Nolito and Lorenzo Melgarejo were Benfica team-mates in 2012/13.

Match facts

Spartak
• Spartak are nine games unbeaten in all competitions, drawing five of them.

• Spartak have conceded 18 goals in their opening 13 league fixtures of the campaign; last season it took 21 games for them to let in that many.

• Aleksandr Samedov provided an assist in both of Russia's October friendlies – against South Korea (4-2) and Iran (1-1).

Sevilla
• Saturday's 1-0 loss at Athletic Club is one of only two defeats Sevilla have suffered in 12 matches this season.

• Sevilla have kept a clean sheet in six of their last nine games in all competitions.

• Wissam Ben Yedder has scored seven goals in nine appearances for Sevilla this term.