Astra v Austria Wien background
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Article summary
Romanian champions for the first time last season, Astra Giurgiu come into their opening Group E fixture against Austria Wien unbeaten in seven European games.
Article top media content
Article body
Astra Giurgiu will be wary of Austria Wien's fine European away record this term as they host the Viennese team in UEFA Europa League Group E.
Previous meetings
• This is the clubs' first meeting in UEFA competition.
• Astra's only previous experience of Austrian opposition was a disappointing one, the Romanian side losing 5-1 away and 2-1 at home to Salzburg in the 2014/15 group stage.
• Austria's record in nine matches against Romanian teams is W3 D3 L3 (D2 L2 away).
Form guide
• Astra are unbeaten in their last seven European home games (W3 D4).
• Astra were eliminated at the end of their only previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaign in 2014/15.
• Austria have won all three of their European away fixtures this season.
• Austria have failed to progress in their last four UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns since making it to the last eight in 2004/05.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Vienna to Giurgiu is around 900km.
The coaches
• Marius Șumudică steered Astra to a maiden Romanian title in 2015/16, having previously won the league as a player with Rapid Bucureşti in 1998/99. He played in Portugal, Hungary and Cyprus as a striker, and has coached in Greece and the United Arab Emirates.
• A four-time Bundesliga winner as a Bayern München midfielder, Thorsten Fink has been in charge at Austria Wien since 2015. Twice a league champion in Switzerland as Basel coach between 2009 and 2011, he subsequently occupied the helm at Hamburg and APOEL.