Fenerbahçe seek home comforts against Marseille

Fenerbahçe SK will look to put an end to a worrying run of home results as they play host to French big-hitters Olympique de Marseille in their first UEFA Europa League Group C game.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA club competition.

• Fenerbahçe's record in 15 games against French sides is W3 D2 L10 (W2 D2 L3 in Istanbul – W1 D0 L7 in France). Those fixtures include a 1959/60 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round replay, which the Yellow Canaries lost 5-1 to OGC Nice on neutral territory in Geneva.

• OM's record in four games against Turkish opponents is W2 D1 L1 (W2 D0 L0 in France – W0 D1 L1 in Turkey). Their only previous visit to Istanbul saw them lose 2-1 to Beşiktaş JK in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• OM met Turkish opposition in the shape of Eskişehirspor en route to the group stage this season. After a 1-1 draw in Turkey in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie, OM progressed with a 3-0 win at home, though the match was played in Istres with the Stade Vélodrome undergoing renovation.

Match background
• Fenerbahçe are returning to the UEFA Europa League group stage for a third time having lost out to FC Spartak Moskva in the UEFA Champions League play-offs. The Istanbul side reached the round of 32 in both of their previous efforts.

• The Yellow Canaries have been on an unusual run at home in Europe; they have not won in five UEFA home games, drawing four of them 1-1 and losing 1-0 in the other.

• Marseille are returning to the UEFA Europa League group stage for the first time since 2005/06, when they went all the way to the round of 16, losing out to FC Zenit St Petersburg.

• Since then, OM have lost only once in seven UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League away games (W3 D3 L1) with that sole defeat a 2-0 against eventual winners FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2008/09 quarter-finals.

Team facts
• Fenerbahçe defender Joseph Yobo played for Marseille towards the start of his career, making 24 league appearances for the club from 2001-02 before moving on for a long, successful spell at Everton FC.

• Fenerbahçe's French-born Senegal striker Moussa Sow represented Stade Rennais FC (2006-10), CS Sedan-Ardennes (2007-08 loan) and LOSC Lille (2010-12) before moving to Istanbul. He played alongside OM right-back Rod Fanni at Rennes, and midfielder Morgan Amalfitano during his time at Sedan, while he and OM defender Souleymane Diawara are international team-mates.

• Aykut Kocaman made his name with Fenerbahçe as a striker, winning two titles in an eight-year stint from 1988-96. He moved into coaching at Istanbulspor AŞ, and following spells at Malatyaspor, Konyaspor and Ankaraspor, became Fenerbahçe's director of football. He then became coach in 2010, winning the title in his first season and the Turkish Cup in the next campaign.

• Marseille coach Élie Baup's goalkeeping career ended when he was in a car accident at the age of 20, but he stayed on in the game as a youth coach, moving up to the senior ranks to take charge of AS Saint-Étienne before winning the 1998/99 Ligue 1 title with FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Having coached Toulouse FC and FC Nantes, he became a TV pundit before taking charge at OM in summer 2012.