Zaragoza to test Austria mettle

The clubs had already met once in this season's UEFA Cup, the Viennese side recording their first victory in eleven games against Spanish opposition, 1-0 on Matchday 2. Zaragoza will hope to exact revenge at La Romareda having won all four of their home matches in the competition this season.

In the 1970/71 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round, Austria lost 2-1 at home to Club Atlético de Madrid and 4-1 on aggregate. They managed a 2-2 home draw against Real Madrid CF in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup four seasons later, only to fall 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

In the quarter-finals of the same competition in 1982/83, Austria eliminated FC Barcelona on away goals following a 0-0 home draw and a 1-1 result at Camp Nou. Madrid were waiting in the last four, and duly progressed with a 3-1 home triumph after a 2-2 draw in Vienna.

Austria failed to record another impressive success against Barça in the second round of the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League, going down 3-0 away and 2-1 at home. In this season's UEFA Cup, though, Austria are unbeaten in their three matches against Primera División clubs.

In addition to that success against Zaragoza, they defeated Athletic Club Bilbao 2-1 on aggregate in the Round of 32. The first leg, postponed by a week due to snow, finished 0-0 and things did not look good for Austria in northern Spain when Francisco Yeste put Bilbao ahead. However, strikes from Libor Sionko in the 35th and 70th minutes sent them through to this stage.

Overall, Austria have only won two of their 13 games against Spanish clubs two of them coming in their last three meetings.