After a 0-0 UEFA Europa League Group A draw at
AFC Ajax on Matchday 1, FC Timişoara will look to keep the momentum
going as they host an NK Dinamo Zagreb side that went down 2-0 at home
to RSC Anderlecht.
Previous meetings
•
Timişoara have never faced Croatian opponents, but this is Dinamo's
fourth visit to Romania. They have won all three of their previous
games on Romanian soil – two against FC Steaua Bucureşti and one at ASA
Târgu-Mures.
Match background
• Timişoara
have never played in the group stage of a UEFA club competition, nor
did FC Politehnica Timişoara, the previous big club in the Romanian
city. Dinamo appeared in the UEFA Cup group stage on three occasions,
but never qualified for the round of 32.
• Timişoara are still
waiting for their first home win in UEFA club competition, with a draw
and two defeats in their three home ties to date.
• Dinamo have
not won in seven European away games since beating NK Domžale 3-0 in
the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round (30/07/08).
Team facts
•
Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, a former Romania midfielder, is in his first season
as Timişoara coach. As a player he won Romanian titles with FC Dinamo
1948 Bucureşti and FC Rapid Bucureşti and played abroad with Feyenoord
(winning two Dutch Cups), Brescia Calcio and AC Reggiana.
•
Dinamo coach Krunoslav Jurčić is also a former international
midfielder, winning 21 caps for Croatia. He spent much of his career
with Dinamo but also played abroad for Belgian side KSK Beveren, and in
Italy for Torino FC and UC Sampdoria.
• Timişoara's Dan
Păltinişanu Stadium is named in honour of a Bucharest-born defender who
played for Poli Timişoara for a decade (1973-83). He died on 4 March
1995 at the age of 43.
• Croatia and Romania have met in three
friendly games, all of them in Romania, drawing 2-2 in 1942 before the
visitors won in 2002 (1-0 at the Dan Păltinişanu Stadium) and in
February 2009 (2-1).
• Timişoara host Anderlecht on Matchday 3, while Dinamo visit Ajax on the same night, 22 October.
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