UEFA.com works better on other browsers
For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Rubin out to end Betis's campaign

An away goal in Seville has set FC Rubin Kazan up nicely in the UEFA Europa League round of 32, with Real Betis Balompié likely to find their hosts to be anything but accommodating.

Rubin's Dmitri Torbinski challenges Betis's Dídac Vilà
Rubin's Dmitri Torbinski challenges Betis's Dídac Vilà ©AFP/Getty Images

FC Rubin Kazan will hope their mighty record in their home town will help them as they play host to Real Betis Balompié in a UEFA Europa League round of 32 decider.

Previous meetings
• The teams met for the first time in UEFA club competition in the first leg, Roman Eremenko's penalty (74) earning Rubin a 1-1 draw after Dídac Vilà had given Betis a third-minute lead.

• Rubin's nine games against Spanish sides have ended W3 D4 L2 (W1 D2 L1 at home). Of those home matches, two were played in Kazan (D2) and two in Moscow (W1 L1).

• Rubin beat FC Barcelona 2-1 at the Camp Nou in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League group stage, and twice held the Blaugrana in Kazan.

• Rubin eliminated Spanish opponents in last season's round of 32 (Club Atlético de Madrid) and round of 16 (Levante UD).

• Betis's only previous encounter with Russian opponents was a 3-0 aggregate defeat by FC Dinamo Moskva that ended their first European campaign – the 1977/78 European Cup Winners' Cup – in the quarter-finals. The clubs drew 0-0 in Seville, but Betis were overrun in the second leg, which was played in Tbilisi. They are visiting Russia for the first time.

Match background
• Rubin are playing in the round of 32 for the fifth successive time, having won two and lost two of their previous encounters at this juncture.

• Rubin are unbeaten in 13 European games this season (W10 D3).

• Rubin have played UEFA home games in Kazan and Moscow in recent years, but are more daunting hosts at their own Centralniy Stadium, where they are unbeaten in 24 matches (W14 D10) since a 1-0 UEFA Cup loss to Parma FC in September 2006.

• This match is being played on an artificial surface at the Stadion Rubin due to the state of the pitch at the Centralniy Stadium.

• A 1-1 draw against NK Maribor in Rubin's final group stage home game this season ended their run of ten straight European victories in Kazan, during which they conceded only one goal.

• Betis have lost just once in nine European fixtures this season. However, they were the lowest-scoring side to make it through the group stage, with just three goals in their six Group I outings.

• Betis last made it to this stage in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup, overcoming AZ Alkmaar in the round of 32 en route to a round of 16 loss against FC Steaua Bucureşti.

Team facts
• Betis have won the most corners of any side in this season's competition with 61, ten more than their nearest rivals SS Lazio.

• Vladislav Kulik turns 29 on the day of the game, the day after Aleksandar Prudnikov celebrated his 25th birthday.

• Betis centre-back Jordi represented Rubin from 2010 to 2012 but played just eight league games for the club, being loaned back to Real Valladolid CF and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid.

• Rubin midfielder Mubarak Wakaso played with Betis forward Jorge Molina at Elche CF from 2009-10 then, following a spell at Villarreal, teamed up with Joan Verdú at RCD Espanyol from 2012-13.

• César Navas moved to Russia after playing for Real Madrid CF's reserves, Málaga CF, CF Gimnàstic de Tarragona and Racing in his native Spain. He could make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance on matchday eight.

• Betis's biggest achievements in Europe have been reaching two UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, going out to Dinamo in 1977/78 and Chelsea FC in 1997/98.

• Rubin got to a UEFA quarter-final for the first time last season, losing out to Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League.

Coach information
• Rubin dismissed coach Kurban Berdyev in December following a poor start to the Russian season. In charge since 2001, he won Russian titles in 2008 and 2009.

• Rinat Bilyaletdinov took over in January, his first permanent senior coaching post at the age of 56, although the team's nominal coach for European games is his assistant Vladimir Maminov.

• Once a midfielder, with FC Lokomotiv Moskva and FC Shinnik Yaroslavl, ethnic Tatar Bilyaletdinov established his reputation as a youth coach with Lokomotiv – notable finds including his son, Russia midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. He briefly took charge of Lokomotiv's senior team in a caretaker capacity in 2007.

• Betis have changed coach twice since the start of December with former striker Pepe Mel and then his replacement Juan Carlos Garrido being ushered out, the latter after just ten games in charge.

• Former Betis midfielder Gabriel Calderón took over on 19 January. An international team-mate of Diego Maradona, Calderón played for Betis in the mid-80s, then joined Paris Saint-Germain, finishing his career with spells at FC Lausanne-Sport and SM Caen, and going on to coach both sides. He then left for the Middle East, where he led club sides and the national teams of Saudi Arabia, Oman and – most recently – Bahrain.

Shoot-out record
• Rubin have yet to be involved in a UEFA club competition penalty shoot-out.

• Betis lost their only previous UEFA shoot-out 5-3 at FC Universitatea Craiova in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup first round.

Round of 16
• The winners will meet Maribor or Sevilla FC in the round of 16, playing the second leg at home.

• Rubin have yet to encounter Sevilla, but met Maribor in this season's group stage, winning 5-2 in Slovenia – their highest-scoring European away performance – then drawing 1-1 in the return fixture.

• Betis have never met Maribor, but know their city rivals Sevilla well – though they have yet to meet in UEFA competition.

Selected for you