Plzeň plot way past FCK for group stage berth

FC København reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in 2010/11, but could have their work cut out to make it through to this season's group stage against a fearless FC Viktoria Plzeň side.

Previous meetings
• The teams have never played in UEFA competition and this is Plzeň's first meeting with Danish opponents.

• FCK have been paired with Czech sides on three previous occasions. Kjøbenhavns BK, one of the clubs that merged to form FCK in 1992, lost 6-1 on aggregate to FC Baník Ostrava in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup first round, while FCK went down 7-2 over two legs to FC Hradec Králové in the first round of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

• While FCK have thus lost both previous two-legged ties against Czech sides, in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League group stage they beat AC Sparta Praha 1-0 at home and 3-0 in Prague, Dame N'Doye scoring three of those goals.

• The Danish club are also unbeaten in those three home games, drawing with Baník (1-1) and Hradec Králové (2-2) before beating Sparta.

Match background
• FCK have neither lost nor conceded a goal in three European fixtures since losing 2-0 at home against Chelsea FC in last season's round of 16.

• That defeat is the only time that København have lost in their last seven European home games, which also include five wins and a 1-1 draw against FC Barcelona.

• Prior to this season Plzeň had never won a European game away from home, going down 6-1 at FC Bayern München in the first round of the 1971/72 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and 3-0 at Beşiktaş JK in last season's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

• Plzeň are unbeaten in three European home games under Pavel Vrba  having lost only their first continental fixture, a 1-0 defeat by Bayern in September 1971. They drew 1-1 with Beşiktaş in July 2010.

• Prior to their 2-0 win at Shamrock Rovers FC in this season's third qualifying round, when completed a 3-0 aggregate success, København had gone three games without scoring an away European goal.

• The Lions are aiming to build on last season's achievement of becoming the first Danish club to qualify for the round of 16, where they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Chelsea.

• Their previous group stage incursion came in 2006/07, when they collected seven points against Celtic FC, Manchester United FC and SL Benfica but still finished bottom of their section.

• København also participated in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League, eliminating Linfield FC but succumbing 7-0 over two legs to eventual champions AC Milan in the second round.

• Plzeň are by far the most inexperienced side in the play-offs; this is only their third season in Europe and they have never appeared in the group stage of a UEFA club competition.

• The Czech titleholders have impressed in their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign, surpassing their second qualifying round success against FC Pyunik (4-0 away, 5-1 home) by eliminating Rosenborg BK (1-0 away, 3-2 home) in the following round.

Team ties
• København coach Roland Nilsson faced Czech opponents at the start of his playing career. The former Sweden defender's IFK Göteborg came up against SK Sigma Olomouc in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup, drawing 1-1 away and winning 4-0 at home.

• Plzeň midfielder Pavel Horváth was in the Sparta side that drew 0-0 home and away against Odense BK in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup first round then won the tie 4-3 on penalties, Horváth scoring the first of them.