Dortmund v PAOK background
Monday, November 30, 2015
Article summary
Dortmund will look to mark defender Neven Subotić's 27th birthday with a win against PAOK, hoping that will be enough to secure top spot in UEFA Europa League Group C.
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Borussia Dortmund need a better result than FC Krasnodar to finish top of UEFA Europa League Group C, with eliminated PAOK FC their visitors on matchday six.
Previous meetings
• PAOK held Dortmund to a 1-1 draw when the sides met for the first time in UEFA competition on matchday two.
• Dortmund's only previous encounters with Greek teams were a 3-1 away defeat and a 1-0 home win against Olympiacos FC in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage.
• PAOK's eight games against German teams have ended W1 D4 L3 (W0 D2 L1 in Germany). That lone victory came in 1981 – 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Cup Winners' Cup first round – and they are without a win in the most recent six fixtures (D4 L2).
Form guide
• Dortmund are in this group stage for the second time, having failed to make it to the knockout phase in their only previous appearance, in 2010/11.
• This game marks the end of PAOK's sixth UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaign; they have made it to the knockout phase three times.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Salonika to Dortmund is around 1,700km.
• Dortmund defender Neven Subotić turns 27 on the day of the PAOK game.
• Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan has hit the woodwork three times during this season's group stage – more than any other player in the 2015/16 competition.
• Dortmund boast Greek talent in the form of defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, the 62-times capped international having started his career at AEK Athens FC.
• Dortmund's İlkay Gündoğan and PAOK's Róbert Mak were team-mates at 1. FC Nürnberg (2009–11).
• PAOK's Dimitar Berbatov and Dortmund's Gonzalo Castro played together at Bayer 04 Leverkusen (2004–06).
• PAOK's Alexandros Tziolis (Werder Bremen 2009), Stelios Malezas (Fortuna Düsseldorf 2012–14), Ricardo Costa (VfL Wolfsburg 2007–10), Giannis Mystakidis (SC Freiburg II 2013–14) and Giorgos Tzavellas (Eintracht Frankfurt 2010–12) have also played in Germany.
The coaches
• Thomas Tuchel is in his first season as Dortmund coach after replacing Jürgen Klopp in the summer. Tuchel, 42, made his name in a five-year spell in charge of 1. FSV Mainz 05, but took 12 months out before assuming his current role.
• PAOK have been led by former Croatia defender Igor Tudor since June. Now 37, he won two league titles with Juventus and began his coaching career with HNK Hajduk Split – the club where he started and ended his playing days – winning the Croatian Cup in 2013.
