Krasnodar and Sevilla meet for the first time on matchday two with top spot in UEFA Europa League Group J on the line. Both clubs claimed victories on the opening night, the Russian side winning 1-0 at debutants Akhisar while the Spanish club overpowered Standard Liège 5-1 in Andalusia.
Previous meetings
• Krasnodar have encountered Spanish clubs twice in two-legged UEFA Europa League ties, overcoming Real Sociedad in the 2014/15 play-offs (0-1 away, 3-0 home) to reach the group stage for the first time, but losing to Celta Vigo in the 2016/17 round of 16 (1-2 away, 0-2 home).
• Sevilla have faced Russian opposition on 14 occasions, eight of those in Russia, where they have won only once – 1-0 against Lokomotiv Moskva en route to lifting the 2005/06 UEFA Cup. Their most recent visit, at Spartak Moskva in last season’s UEFA Champions League group stage, resulted in a 5-1 defeat – though they beat the same opponents 2-1 a fortnight later at home and ultimately progressed to the quarter-finals.
Form guide
Krasnodar
• Since making their European debut in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League Krasnodar have qualified for the competition every season since, failing to make the group stage only in 2017/18, when they lost a play-off to Crvena zvezda on away goals. Fourth place in last season’s Russian Premier League secured their group stage berth this term.
• Krasnodar were unable to progress from their group at the first attempt, in 2014/15, but succeeded in both of the following two seasons, lasting until the round of 32 in 2015/16 and the round of 16 in 2016/17.
• The Russian club have won three of their last four European home games, the exception that defeat by Celta. Their UEFA Europa League group stage record in Krasnodar is W4 D3 L2 and they have scored in all but one of those games, their biggest win on matchday two of the 2016/17 campaign when they overcame Nice 5-2.
Sevilla
• Although they were UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists last term, seventh place in Spain’s Liga meant that Sevilla’s first match back in the UEFA Europa League since their 2016 final success against Liverpool was in the second qualifying round. They came through their opening tie, against Hungary’s Újpest, with ease, winning both legs, and it was the same story in subsequent rounds against Žalgiris Vilnius and Sigma Olomouc.
• This is Sevilla’s fourth appearance in the UEFA Europa League group stage. They have always progressed through to the knockout phase, winning the competition in both 2013/14 and 2014/15. The hat-trick triumph of 2015/16 came after they had crossed over from the UEFA Champions League during the winter.
• Sevilla have won all seven European games this season, racking up 22 goals and conceding just two. That heavy loss at Spartak is the only defeat they have suffered in their last nine European away games (W5 D3). Their away record in the UEFA Europa League group stage is W4 D3 L2 and in the tournament proper as a whole W10 D7 L5.
Links and trivia
• Sevilla’s matchday one win at home to Standard was the first time that the champions of 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 have scored five goals in a UEFA Europa League match, group stage to final.
• Sevilla defender Daniel Carriço made his record-extending 55th appearance in the UEFA Europa League proper against Standard.
• With his double against Standard, Sevilla’s French striker Wissam Ben Yedder has now scored eight goals in his last seven European group games.
• Quincy Promes makes a quick return to Russia having moved to Sevilla in late August after four years in the country as a Spartak Moskva player. He was in the Spartak side that defeated Sevilla 5-1 last season, scoring two goals, and also found the net home and away against Krasnodar in last season’s Russian Premier Liga, making it four league goals against them in total.
The coaches
• An FC Krasnodar man through and through, Murad Musaev made waves by leading the club’s Under-19s to the knockout phase of the 2017/18 UEFA Youth League, where they were only eliminated on penalties by Real Madrid in front of a competition record crowd. That achievement helped him land the position of caretaker coach to the senior side following Igor Shalimov’s dismissal in early April 2018. His position as the club’s new head coach was subsequently confirmed during the summer.
• Pablo Machín was appointed by Sevilla as their new head coach on a two-year contract in May 2018 – a reward for four progressive campaigns at the helm of Catalan outfit Girona, whom he guided into the Spanish top flight before exceeding expectations by leading them to a tenth-placed Liga finish in 2017/18. Forced to retire from playing at 23, he had a lengthy association with home-town club Numancia before joining Girona in 2014. This is his first season on the European stage.
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