Salzburg v Vitória SC background

Salzburg go into their final home fixture in Group I poised to seal a fifth participation in the UEFA Europa League's knockout phase. Opponents Vitória SC may need a win to keep alive their prospects of further progress.

• The Austrian club will go through with a win, while a draw will be good enough if Konyaspor do not beat Marseille at home in the other group encounter. Vitória SC will be eliminated if they fail to win and Marseille triumph in Turkey.

Previous meetings
• The opening-night contest in Guimaraes – the clubs' first European meeting – ended in a 1-1 draw as Salzburg's Valon Berisha equalised an opener from defender Pedrão.

• In Vitória SC's only encounters with an Austrian side prior to that game, they were beaten 2-1 away and 4-1 at home by Altach in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. That was their last European tie until they met Salzburg on matchday one.

• Salzburg's only other meeting with Portuguese opponents was a 1993/94 UEFA Cup third-round tie against Sporting CP; they lost 2-0 away but won the return leg 3-0 after extra time and went on to reach the final.

Form guide
• Salzburg are unbeaten in 13 European matches, including nine in the UEFA Europa League, play-offs included (W6 D3). They have conceded just once in five home European matches this term and have kept clean sheets in the last three.

• Vitória SC are without a win in 12 UEFA away matches (D3 L9) – a run stretching back to a 1-0 victory at Wisła Kraków in September 2005. Their away record in seven UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League group games also lacks a victory (D2 L5); they have lost their last three away games 2-1.

• Austrian league and cup double winners for the past four seasons, and 1994 UEFA Cup runners-up, Salzburg missed the cut in last year's UEFA Europa League group stage after succeeding in their previous three attempts.

• Fourth in the Liga and runners-up in the Portuguese Cup last season, Vitória SC are participating in their third UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League group stage. They failed to make it through in both 2005/06 and 2013/14.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Guimaraes to Salzburg is around 1,800km.

• Salzburg won last season's UEFA Youth League, beating Benfica in the final under Marco Rose – now in charge of the senior side.

• Along with FCSB, Salzburg are in a record seventh UEFA Europa League group stage. They could become the first team to win their group on four occasions; they are currently one of eight clubs to have done so three times (none of the other seven are competing in this season's group stage).

• Salzburg are the only club to have recorded a maximum 18 points in the UEFA Europa League group stage on two occasions (2009/10 and 2013/14).

• This is Salzburg's 51st UEFA Europa League match, group stage to final; only Spanish clubs Villarreal and Athletic Club have played more.

• Suspended for next match if booked: Jubal (Vitória SC).

The coaches
• Previously active as youth-team boss, Marco Rose stepped up to the senior Salzburg helm after predecessor Óscar García left in June. A defender with home-town club Leipzig, Hannover and Mainz, he has been on Salzburg's staff since 2013.

• Vitória SC coach since summer 2016, Pedro Martins previously managed Marítimo (2012/13) and Rio Ave (2014/15) in this competition's group stage. A former Guimarães midfielder, he was capped once during his time at Sporting CP (1995–98).