UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2015/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Euroborg - Groningen Thursday 10 December 2015 19.00CET (19.00 local time) FC Groningen Group F - Matchday 6 SC Braga Last updated 10/12/2015 18:10CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 4 Squad list 6 Fixtures and results 9 Match-by-match lineups 12 Match officials 14 Legend 15 1 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 01/10/2015 GS SC Braga - FC Groningen 1-0 Braga Ahmed Hassan 5 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA FC Groningen 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 SC Braga 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 FC Groningen - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Nascimento 29, 3-0 10/12/1986 R3 Vitória SC - FC Groningen Guimaraes Novais 40, Bacinello agg: 3-1 81 26/11/1986 R3 FC Groningen - Vitória SC 1-0 Groningen de Kock 6 SC Braga - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Sibon 19; Renteria 04/12/2008 GS sc Heerenveen - SC Braga 1-2 Heerenveen 35, Aguiar 56 UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers S. Arveladze 36, 19/10/2006 GS AZ Alkmaar - SC Braga 3-0 Alkmaar Koevermans 74, Schaars 79 UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 2-0 30/09/1997 R1 SC Braga - Vitesse Braga Artur Jorge 13, 23 agg: 3-2 Curovic 32, Trustfull 16/09/1997 R1 Vitesse - SC Braga 2-1 Arnhem 84; Karoglan 90 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA FC Groningen 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 1 4 SC Braga 2 2 0 0 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 2 6 6 2 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen Match background FC Groningen are out of the running for a knockout round place, but SC Braga have qualified and will finish top of UEFA Europa League Group F if they avoid defeat in the Netherlands or if Olympique de Marseille fail to win away to FC Slovan Liberec. Previous meetings • Braga won 1-0 in Portugal when the sides met for the first time in UEFA competition on matchday two. • Groningen's only previous encounter with Portuguese opposition came in a 1986/87 UEFA Cup third-round tie where they beat Vitória SC 1-0 at home before losing the return fixture 3-0 in Guimaraes. • Braga's record in five games against Dutch teams is W3 D0 L2 (W1 D0 L2 in the Netherlands). Form guide • Groningen are involved in the group stage of a major UEFA competition for the first time. They are equalling their longest-ever European campaign with this sixth Group F game, having also played six matches in reaching the third round of the 1988/89 UEFA Cup. • Losing finalists in 2011 – when they transferred over after the UEFA Champions League group stage – Braga have now made it to the round of 32 in all five of their UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns. Trivia and links • The journey from Braga to Groningen is around 1,700km. • Groningen's Albert Rusnák and Braga's Joan Roman were trainees together at Manchester City FC from 2010 to 2012. The coaches • Previously assistant coach, Erwin van de Looi took sole command at Groningen in 2013; they qualified for Europe in his first season and last time out won their first Dutch Cup. A former Dutch Under-21 international, the now 43-year- old played UEFA Cup football with Vitesse, ending his injury-ravaged playing days at Groningen in 2002. • Appointed to the Braga hot seat last summer, former defender Paulo Fonseca, 42, had a low-key playing career. Having made his name in the second division as boss of CD Aves, Fonseca twice coached FC Paços de Ferreira in the top division either side of a stint in charge of FC Porto, where he was once on the books as a player. 3 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen Team facts FC Groningen Formed: 1971 Nickname: Trots van het Noorden (Pride of the North) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) Dutch Cup: 1 (2015) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2014/15: second qualifying round 2013/14: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2012/13: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2010/11: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2009/10: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2008/09: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2007/08: first round 2006/07: first round 2005/06: did not take part in UEFA club competition Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 5-1: Groningen v Galway United FC 16/09/86, UEFA Cup first round first leg • Biggest away win 1-4: JK Trans Narva v Groningen 29/06/96, UEFA Intertoto Cup group stage • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Groningen v Olympique de Marseille 17/09/15, UEFA Europa League group stage • Heaviest away defeat 5-1: FC Internazionale Milano v Groningen 02/11/83, UEFA Cup second round second leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 5-1: Groningen v Galway United FC (see above) • Biggest away win 1-3: Galway United FC v Groningen 01/10/86, UEFA Cup first round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Groningen v Olympique de Marseille (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 5-1: FC Internazionale Milano v Groningen (see above) SC Braga Formed: 1921 Nickname: Os Arsenalistas (The Arsenal fans) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • UEFA Europa League: (2011) • UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 2008 Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) Portuguese Cup: 1 (1966) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 4 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen 2014/15: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2013/14: play-offs 2012/13: UEFA Champions League group stage 2011/12: round of 32 2010/11: runners-up (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) 2009/10: third qualifying round 2008/09: round of 16 2007/08: round of 32 2006/07: round of 16 2005/06: first round Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 5-0: Braga v Hibernians FC 13/09/78, UEFA Cup first round first leg • Biggest away win 1-3: Birmingham City FC v Braga 15/09/11, UEFA Europa League group stage 0-2: FC Artmedia Petržalka v Braga 02/10/08, UEFA Cup first round second leg 0-2: Galatasaray AŞ v Braga 02/10/12, UEFA Champions League group stage • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Braga v FC Shakhtar Donetsk 28/09/10, UEFA Champions League group stage 0-3: Braga v Tottenham Hotspur FC 19/09/84, UEFA Cup first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Arsenal FC v Braga 15/09/10, UEFA Champions League group stage 6-0: Tottenham Hotspur FC v Braga 03/10/84, UEFA Cup first round second leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 5-0: Braga v Hibernians FC (see above) • Biggest away win 1-3: Birmingham City FC v Braga (see above) 0-2: FC Artmedia Petržalka v Braga (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Braga v Tottenham Hotspur FC (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Tottenham Hotspur FC v Braga (see above) 5 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen Squad list FC Groningen Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA No. Player Nat. DoB Age D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 1 Sergio Padt NED 06/06/1990 25 - 5 - 15 - 5 - 10 - 26 Peter van der Vlag NED 05/12/1977 38 - - - - - - - - - 30 Stefan Van Der Lei NED 05/03/1993 22 - - - - - - - - - 40 Jeroen Gies GER 23/01/1995 20 - - - - - - - - - Defenders 2 Johan Kappelhof NED 05/08/1990 25 - 5 - 14 1 5 - 7 - 3 Kasper Larsen DEN 25/01/1993 22 - 4 - 8 - 4 - 4 - 5 Lorenzo Burnet NED 11/01/1991 24 - 1 - 9 1 1 - 3 - 6 Etienne Reijnen NED 05/04/1987 28 - 4 - 13 - 13 - 15 - 28 Abel Tamata NED 05/12/1990 25 - 4 - 8 - 10 - 15 - 33 Hans Hateboer NED 09/01/1994 21 * 5 - 13 - 5 - 7 - 34 Roland Baas NED 02/03/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 35 Glenn Bijl NED 13/07/1995 20 - - - - - - - - - 37 Desevio Payne NED 30/11/1995 20 - - - 1 - - - - - 42 Daro Faraj NED 14/03/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 47 Jim De Leeuw NED 05/01/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 50 Keziah Veendorp NED 17/02/1997 18 - - - - - - - - - Midfielders 8 Michael de Leeuw NED 07/10/1986 29 - 3 - 12 3 3 - 4 - 10 Albert Rusnák SVK 07/07/1994 21 - 5 - 14 2 5 - 5 - 14 Mimoun Mahi NED 13/03/1994 21 - 3 - 11 5 3 - 3 - 17 Jesper Drost NED 11/01/1993 22 - 3 - 13 1 3 - 5 - 21 Rasmus Lindgren SWE 29/11/1984 31 - 1 - 4 - 21 - 36 1 22 Simon Tibbling SWE 07/09/1994 21 * 5 - 15 - 5 - 5 - 23 Hedwiges Maduro NED 13/02/1985 30 - 5 1 11 - 35 2 54 2 24 Tom Hiariej NED 25/07/1988 27 - - - 4 - - - - - 38 Juninho Bacuna NED 07/08/1997 18 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 43 Willem Gootjes NED 30/07/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 44 Ajdin Hrustic ROU 05/07/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 49 Niels Stenekes NED 17/04/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 52 Robbert De Vos NED 26/05/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - Forwards 7 Jarchinio Antonia NED 27/12/1990 24 - 4 - 13 - 4 - 6 - 9 Danny Hoesen NED 15/01/1991 24 - 5 1 11 3 5 1 13 3 11 Bryan Linssen NED 08/10/1990 25 - 5 - 15 2 5 - 5 - 19 Dino Islamoviс SWE 17/01/1994 21 - - - - - - - 1 - 46 Gijs Jasper NED 15/11/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 48 Kasper Olderburger NED 12/02/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 51 Pier Veldman NED 18/06/1996 19 - - - - - - - - - 6 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen FC Groningen Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA Coach - Erwin Van De Looi NED 25/02/1972 43 - 5 - - - 5 - 7 - 7 FC Groningen - SC Braga Thursday 10 December 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Euroborg, Groningen SC Braga Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA No.