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Plzeň out to complete København conquest

Having lost both their previous two-legged ties against Czech teams and gone down 3-1 at home to FC Viktoria Plzeň, FC København have it all to do to avoid an unwanted hat-trick.

Plzeň celebrate their first-leg win at FCK
Plzeň celebrate their first-leg win at FCK ©Getty Images

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

• The Danish side were caught cold in the first leg as Plzeň ran out 3-1 victors in Copenhagen, Sölvi Ottesen's own goal giving them a 52nd-minute advantage increased by Václav Pilař. Although Ottesen pulled one back, substitute Martin Fillo added a fine third to complete a memorable win for the Czech side.

Previous meetings
• The teams had never met in UEFA competition before the first leg, while Plzeň had not previously played Danish opponents.

• FCK have been paired with Czech sides on three previous occasions in Europe. 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 lost 7-2 over two legs to FC Hradec Králové in the first round of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

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

Match background
• The first leg was the first time FCK had lost or even conceded a goal since losing 2-0 at home against Chelsea FC in last season's UEFA Champions League round of 16; of the subsequent three games they drew one and won two.

• Plzeň are unbeaten in three European home games under Pavel Vrba having lost only their first continental fixture. They went down 1-0 to FC Bayern München in the first round of the 1971/72 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

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

• FCK have lost the first leg at home in UEFA competition on nine previous occasions and lost eight of those ties, most recently against Chelsea last season. Their sole win came in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup preliminary round against FC Jazz (0-1 home, 4-0 away).

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

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

• Plzeň are by far the most inexperienced side in the UEFA Champions League 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 title holders have impressed in their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign, surpassing their second qualifying round success against FC Pyunik (agg: 9-1) by eliminating group stage regulars Rosenborg BK in the following round (agg: 4-2).

• They have won all five of their UEFA Champions League qualifying fixtures to date.

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

• Plzeň's 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 4-3 on penalties, Horváth scoring the first of them.

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