Fenerbahçe v Krasnodar background
Friday, February 17, 2017
Article summary
Krasnodar put a timely end to a winless run in beating Fenerbahçe, but must now remedy their away form as well against opponents renowned for making life difficult for guests.
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It is advantage Krasnodar in this round of 32 tie but it remains to be seen whether their slender lead will suffice at the home of a Fenerbahçe team on a run of seven straight European victories in Istanbul.
• A goal from Krasnodar's winter signing Viktor Claesson, four minutes into the Swedish international midfielder's debut, secured the first-leg spoils for the hosts.
Previous meetings
• The first leg was the clubs' first meeting and Krasnodar's first encounter with Turkish opposition.
• Fenerbahçe's seven games against Russian teams have ended W2 D3 L2 (W2 D1 in Turkey).
Form guide
• Fenerbahçe are unbeaten in nine European home games (W8 D1), including a run of seven straight UEFA successes in Istanbul.
• Prior to their first-leg victory, Krasnodar were without a win in their last four continental matches (D1 L3), including defeats in their two most recent away games.
• Semi-finalists in 2012/13, Fenerbahçe eliminated another Russian outfit, Lokomotiv Moskva, in last season's round of 32 before succumbing to Braga in the round of 16.
• Krasnodar also reached the last 32 last term – only their second European campaign – but crashed 4-0 on aggregate to Sparta Praha.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Krasnodar to Istanbul is a little over 900km, across the Black Sea.
• Krasnodar's Vladimir Bystrov, Dmitri Torbinski, Marat Izmailov and Pavel Mamaev played under Fenerbahçe boss Dick Advocaat during his time as Russia coach (July 2010 to June 2012).
• Fenerbahçe centre-back Martin Škrtel (Zenit 2004–08) has Russian league experience – Škrtel played alongside Bystrov at Zenit in 2005.
• Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moskva, July 2011 to August 2013) also played in Russia, with Krasnodar's Ari among his team-mates in Moscow.
• Other former team-mates:
Ari (Krasnodar) & Jeremain Lens (Fenerbahçe) – AZ Alkmaar, 2008–10
• Fenerbahçe's Moussa Sow made his 50th UEFA competition appearance in the first leg on 16 February.
• Krasnodar midfielder Tornike Okriashvili spent the latter part of 2015/16 in Turkey with Eskişehirspor, on loan from Belgian side Genk.
• Fenerbahçe's Roman Neustädter collected his first Russia cap on 1 June 2016 and featured at UEFA EURO 2016 later that month; he was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, but has never played club football in Russia.
• Izmailov and Fenerbahçe reserve goalkeeper Fabiano were colleagues at Porto (2013–15).
The coaches
• Advocaat is in his first campaign with Fenerbahçe. The one-time Oranje and Russia boss has won domestic championships in the Netherlands (with PSV Eindhoven), Scotland (Rangers) and Russia (Zenit), having also guided Zenit to 2007/08 UEFA Cup glory.
• Advocaat was made an Honorary Citizen of Saint Petersburg after that 2008 UEFA Cup success – the first foreigner to receive the honour since 1866.
• Igor Shalimov stepped in to take temporary command of Krasnodar on 13 September 2016 following Oleg Kononov's resignation. The former USSR, CIS and Russia midfielder, who helped Internazionale Milano lift the UEFA Cup in 1994, had been on Kononov's staff, working with the club's strikers.
Penalty shoot-outs
• Fenerbahçe won their only previous UEFA penalty shoot-out:
W 3-2 A v Sevilla (2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16)
• Krasnodar have yet to figure in a UEFA penalty shoot-out.