UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2016/17 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Estadio de San Mamés - Bilbao Thursday 24 November 2016 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Athletic Club Group F - Matchday 5 US Sassuolo Calcio Last updated 23/11/2016 04:36CET
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1 Athletic Club - US Sassuolo Calcio Thursday 24 November 2016 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Estadio de San Mamés, Bilbao
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Athletic Club have given themselves a tough act to follow with Aritz Aduriz's five-goal salvo against Genk on UEFA Europa League matchday four, and they need to be sharp as Sassuolo come to Bilbao in Group F. • Athletic are through with a win if Genk also win at home to Rapid Wien; Sassuolo are out if they lose and the other game is not drawn. Previous meetings • In what was their first encounter with Spanish opponents, Sassuolo made light work of Athletic on matchday one, winning 3-0 in Reggio Emilia. • Athletic's record in 18 matches against Italian sides is W8 D4 L6 (W6 D1 L1 in Bilbao). Those fixtures include the 1977 UEFA Cup final against Juventus, who triumphed 2-2 on away goals after a 2-1 second-leg reverse in Bilbao. Form guide • Athletic are unbeaten in their last six UEFA Europa League group stage home games (W4 D2). • Sassuolo have scored once in all four of their European away games to date, those four goals earning them three draws and one defeat. • Losing finalists in 1977 and 2012, Athletic have made it through four of their previous five UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns. • Sassuolo and Konyaspor are the only clubs in the 2016/17 group stage who are in their debut European season. Links and trivia • The journey from Sassuolo to Bilbao is around 1,100km. • Sassuolo boast Spanish talent in teenager Pol Lirola, who is on a two-year loan from Juventus. The defender started his career with Espanyol and made one league appearance for their B side in November 2014. • Sassuolo's Stadio Città del Tricolore was the venue for the 2016 UEFA Women's Champions League final. • After his five goals in the 5-3 success against Genk, Aduriz is level with Zenit's Giuliano on five goals in this season's group stage top scorers' list. The ten-goal top scorer in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, Aduriz is the first player to score five times in a UEFA Europa League match (excluding qualifying). Just two players – Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani – had previously scored four in a single game. • Aduriz is now five goals clear of Fernando Llorente as Athletic's all-time European top scorer, with 21 goals. The coaches • Ernesto Valverde took charge of Athletic for a second time in June 2013, having led his old club from 2003 to 2005. The former forward later steered Espanyol to the 2007 UEFA Cup final, landed three Greek titles with Olympiacos and coached Villarreal and Valencia. • Eusebio Di Francesco's career high as a player was winning the Scudetto with Roma in 2000/01. The 12-times capped midfielder has since worked wonders at Sassuolo, guiding an attack-minded team from Serie B into Europe.
2 Athletic Club - US Sassuolo Calcio Thursday 24 November 2016 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Estadio de San Mamés, Bilbao Legend Competitions
Club competitions National team competitions UCL: UEFA Champions League EURO: UEFA European Football Championship ECCC: European Champion Clubs' Cup WC: FIFA World Cup UEL: UEFA Europa League CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup UCUP: UEFA Cup FRIE: Friendly internationals UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup U21FRIE: Under-21 friendly internationals SCUP: UEFA Super Cup U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup U17: UEFA Under-17 Championship ICF: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup U16: UEFA European Under-16 Championship U19: UEFA Under-19 Championship U18: UEFA European Under-18 Championship WWC: FIFA Women's World Cup WEURO: UEFA European Women's Championship Competition stages Other abbreviations F: Final GS: Group stage (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage No.: Number og: Own goal 3QR: Third qualifying round R1: First round ag: Match decided on away P: Penalty R2: Second round R3: Third round goals agg: Aggregate R4: Fourth round PR: Preliminary round Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition R16: round of 16 QR: Qualifying round Pts: Points D: Drawn R32: Round of 32 1QR: First qualifying round R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth 1st: first leg 2QR: Second qualifying Res.: Result ET: Extra Time round sg: Match decided by silver GA: Goals against 2nd: second leg FT: Final tournament goal t: Match decided by toss of a PO: Play-off ELITE: Elite round coin Rep: Replay 3rdPO: Third-place play-off GF: Goals for W: Won PO - FT: Play-off for Final GS-FT: Group stage – final gg: Match decided by golden Y: Booked Tournament tournament goal L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow Nat.: Nationality cards) N/A: Not applicable f: Match forfeited Statistics -: Denotes player substituted +: Denotes player introduced *: Denotes player sent off +/-: Denotes player introduced and substituted Squad list D: Disciplinary *: Misses next match if booked S: Suspended QUAL: All UEFA qualifiers UEL: Current season total UEFA Europa League appearances from the group stage onwards prior to the current matchday UEL: Total appearances in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final only UEFA: All-time total appearances in UEFA club competition including qualifying Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.
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