A few facts on... FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk

Some more facts on FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, our Ukrainian opponents in the Europa League round of 32...

Last time out – Dnipro beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 in a friendly last Friday. They lost 5-0 to Dinamo Moscow two days previously.

Domestic pause – The Ukrainian top flight season is coming to the end of its winter hiatus. Dnipro get their league season back underway on March 2 with a home match against Volyn.

League position – Dnipro have played 16 games in the Ukrainian top flight so far this season, winning nine, drawing five and losing two. They’re currently fourth, one point behind second placed Metalist Kharkiv and third placed Dynamo Kiev.

Origins – The club was originally founded in 1918 by the Petrovsky factory.

Early stages – The team was known originally as BRIT, but after it was disbanded due to World War I, a new team which would become known as Petrovets was formed in Dnipropetrovsk in May, 1925.

Post-War years – After World War II, the club merged with Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk and until 1961 it become known as Metalurh.

Identity – After the team was handed over to a new sponsor, it became known as Dnepr – a name with Russian influences.

Making history – Dnepr became the first professional football club in the Soviet Union in 1989.

Current name – The club took on the name Dnipro following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Dnipro is the name of the biggest river in Ukraine.

Familiar manager – Dnipro are managed by former Spurs boss and two-time UEFA Cup winner Juande Ramos.

Rivals – One of the club’s biggest rivals is Metalist Kharkiv.

Familiar foe for Mousa – Mousa Dembele has played again Dnipro before. He was part of the Fulham side which beat them 3-1 over two legs in the Europa League play-off round in 2011. Mousa was a 67th minute substitute in the first leg – a 3-0 win at Craven Cottage – before starting the return match in Ukraine, which Fulham lost 1-0.

European pedigree – Dnipro have previously been Champions League quarter-finalists in 1985 and 1990.

Europa League history – Dnipro have failed to advance past the Europa League play-off phase in the past two seasons.

Current stage – The club have only reached the last 32 stage of this competition once before. That was in 2004-05 when the tournament was known as the UEFA Cup.

This season in Europe – Like us, Dnipro entered this season’s Europa League at the play-off stage. They defeated Estonian side JK Nomme Kalju 5-1 on aggregate.

Early qualification – Dnipro were one of eight sides – including ourselves – who had qualified for the round of 32 of this season’s Europa League after matchday four in the group stage.

Biggest win – Dnipro’s biggest win in the group stage was on matchday five, when they defeated Romanian side Pandurii Targu Jiu 4-1.

Final standings – Dnipro finished second to Fiorentina in Europa League Group E.

Same nation – We last faced Ukrainian opposition in the Europa League during the 2008-09 season, when Shakhtar Donetsk beat us over two legs in the round of 32. We lost the away leg 2-0 on February 19, 2009, before drawing 1-1 at the Lane a week later, meaning we went out 3-1 on aggregate.