PSG primed for the unusual

Paris Saint-Germain FC know to expect the unexpected when they travel to the Romanian capital for a third time to take on AFC Rapid Bucuresti tonight.

Unusual endings
The French side have made three previous trips to Bucharest in UEFA club competition and two ended in unusual circumstances. PSG's first encounter with Romanian opposition passed without incident as they beat FC Universitatea Craiova 6-0 on aggregate in the second round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1993/94. However, they were to experience a rather more eventful tie when drawn against FC Steaua Bucuresti four years later.

Default victory
That 1997/98 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round assignment started well for Steaua as they won 3-2 in Bucharest. It got significantly better when the result was changed to 3-0 after it was discovered that PSG had fielded an ineligible player in the suspended Laurent Fournier. However, far from being discouraged, PSG went into the return leg with fire in their bellies. A hat-trick from the Brazilian Raí and a weak display from Steaua in the French capital helped PSG to build up a 4-0 lead by half-time, and they scored again in the second half to make it 5-3 on aggregate.

Extra time
An even more dramatic meeting took place when PSG and Rapid faced off in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup first round. With 180 minutes of football in Paris and Bucharest failing to produce a goal, the tie went to extra time - but was to end in controversy. José Aloisio finally put PSG ahead after 93 minutes but they were unable to celebrate a victory in the usual manner as a power cut plunged the stadium into darkness seven minutes from time.

Public outcry
The game was subsequently awarded as a 3-0 win to PSG on the grounds that Rapid did not have an emergency generator in place. It was the cause of much disappointment in Romania, with prime minister Adrian Nastase ordering an inquiry which concluded that a 28-year-old generator, which provided power to a number of Bucharest districts, was to blame.

Ronaldinho
PSG's next trip to Bucharest the following season was less eventful as they prevailed by 2-0 in the first leg of a UEFA Cup second-round tie against FC National Bucuresti, going on to triumph 3-0 on aggregate. The match is best remembered in Romania for the fact it saw a young Ronaldinho set foot on National's training pitch, although he did not even make the substitutes' bench for the game itself.

Revenge mission
Now, as PSG pay their fourth visit to Bucharest, Rapid are hoping to avenge that defeat. Midfielder Marius Maldarasanu said: "PSG are a very good team but they don't have the stars they had five years ago so we have our chance and we will take it. We did well last term, [reaching the quarter-finals] so why shouldn't we be able to do so again this season?" If PSG's history in Romania is anything to go by, it is impossible to tell.