Espanyol seek grand finale

[2Slick]

There is little but pride to play for as leaders RCD Espanyol end their Group F campaign with a home fixture against rock-bottom FK Austria Wien.

• Wins against AC Sparta Praha, SV Zulte Waregem and AFC Ajax secured Espanyol's progress to the group stage and a draw or better against Austria would guarantee them top spot. It would take a minor miracle for Zulte Waregem to supplant them at the summit, even if the Spanish side lose.

• Austria have lost all three of their games to date against Zulte Waregem, Ajax and Sparta, scoring just once in the process. They are already four points adrift of the sides in third and fourth place in the section and have no chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.

• The side finishing top of the section is guaranteed a tie against one of the third-placed finishers from another group in the draw for the Round of 32 on 15 December, while each pool runner-up will meet one of the third-placed finishers from the UEFA Champions League.

• The two sides have never met in European competition.

• Espanyol coach Ernesto Valverde will have unpleasant memories of Austria from his time as coach of Athletic Club Bilbao. The two sides met in a two-legged 2004/05 UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie. Athletic drew 0-0 in Vienna but lost the return 2-1 at home with Libor Sionko scoring twice for Austria.

• Current Austria stars Ã…Â*těpán VachouÅ¡ek, Jocelyn Blanchard and Markus Kiesenebner played in both legs of that tie while Florian Metz and Sebastian Mila both made solitary appearances as substitutes.

• Espanyol have been drawn against Austrian opposition on one previous occasion in European competition, playing Grazer AK in a two-legged 2000/01 UEFA Cup second-round tie. They won the home leg 4-0 and progressed despite a 1-0 defeat in Graz.

• Thus the Barcelona-based side boast a 100 per cent home record against Austrian opposition.

• Austria have played 15 European games against Spanish opponents, seven two-legged ties and a sole meeting with Real Zaragoza in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage.

• They reached the 1982/83 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals with an away goals win against Espanyol's local rivals FC Barcelona. However, they lost 3-0 on their last visit to the Catalan capital in the course of a 5-1 aggregate defeat in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League second round.

• In total, they have won twice against Spanish opponents, drawing seven times and losing six times.

• They have won just once in Spain – that 2-1 win against Valverde's Bilbao – drawing twice and losing four times in their remaining games.

• Zulte Waregem play Ajax in Matchday 5's other Group F game.

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