København on their guard as Vorskla visit

FC Vorskla Poltava can take comfort from Ukrainian clubs' exceptional record against Danish counterparts as they prepare to take on FC København in their opening UEFA Europa League Group B game.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in Europe and this is also København's first meeting with Ukrainian opponents in their current form.

• B 1903 København, who merged with Kjøbenhavns BK to form FCK in 1992, played FC Dynamo Kyiv in the 1973/74 UEFA Cup second round, losing 1-0 away and 2-1 at home.

• Vorskla's only previous meeting with Danish opponents came in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup second round; they drew 2-2 with Akademisk Boldklub in Soberg, winning the tie on away goals following a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.

• They are thus yet to win or lose over 90 minutes against a Danish side.

Match background
• In 16 UEFA games between Danish and Ukrainian sides, the Danish side has won just once, Brøndby IF triumphing 1-0 at Dynamo in the 1997/98 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. Ukrainian sides' record in those ties reads W10 D5 L1 (W6 D2 L0 in Denmark).

• FCK have won two and lost two at home in Europe since holding UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in last season's group stage. In their last UEFA Europa League home game, they went down 3-1 to Olympique de Marseille in the 2009/10 round of 32.

• Vorskla are on a seven-game unbeaten run in Europe (including six games this season) comprising six wins and a draw. They have won all three of their 2011/12 UEFA away games.

• Of Vorskla's 16 European matches to date, 14 have come in qualifying competitions. In their only previous appearance in a UEFA competition proper, they lost 2-1 home and away against Boavista FC in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup first round.

Team facts
• Roland Nilsson replaced Ståle Solbakken as FCK boss this year, after winning the 2010 Swedish title with Malmö FF. This is his first European season as a coach, but the 116-times capped former Sweden defender has extensive European experience.

• Nilsson came up against Vorskla's Ukrainian rivals FC Karpaty Lviv in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup first round tie; both legs ended in 1-1 draws, with Helsingborg winning 4-2 on penalties in Ukraine.

• Vorskla goalkeeper Serhiy Dolganskiy celebrates his 37th birthday on the day of the match.

• Vorskla boss Mykola Pavlov won a Ukrainian title as Dynamo Kyiv coach in 1995/96, and guided both FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and FC Illychivets Mariupil in European games.

• Pavlov has a decent record on the road in Europe, earning five wins and three defeats in his eight continental away fixtures as a coach.

• Vorskla take their name from the river that runs through Poltava.