Dundalk will look to build on an unexpected point gained on matchday one as they play host to Maccabi Tel-Aviv, the Israeli side having been on the wrong end of a phenomenal comeback in their opener.
Previous meetings
• The teams are meeting for the first time. Neither has faced other clubs from their opponents' home country.
• Just three games have been played between Irish and Israeli representatives in UEFA club competition; two of those ended in draws while in the most recent one, Shamrock Rovers beat Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv 1-0 away in 2010/11 UEFA Europa League qualifying.
Form guide
• Dundalk are making their UEFA group stage debut. The only Irish side to have previously graced a UEFA Europa League group stage are Shamrock Rovers, who lost all six of their matches in 2011/12.
• Dundalk thus became the first Irish team to take a point from a UEFA group stage fixture when they drew 1-1 at AZ Alkmaar on matchday one.
• Maccabi made a disastrous start on matchday one, allowing a 3-0 lead to slip in the closing stages and going down 4-3 at home to Zenit.
• Maccabi and Qäbälä are the only sides who have made it from the first qualifying round to the group stage in the current UEFA Europa League.
• Maccabi have qualified for the round of 32 in one of their two previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns, 2013/14.
Links and trivia
• The journey from Tel Aviv to Dundalk is around 4,050km.
• With five goals, Dundalk's David McMillan was the joint-top scorer in UEFA Champions League qualifying this season.
• Scorer of his team's equaliser in the Netherlands on matchday one, Dundalk forward Ciaran Kilduff turns 28 the day of the Maccabi game.
• Dundalk are playing their Group D home fixtures at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, normally the home of Shamrock Rovers.
The coaches
• Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny started his managerial career with Longford Town, aged 27, and landed a league title with Bohemians in 2002/03, aged 32. Hired by Dundalk in 2013, he steered the club to Irish championships in 2014 and 2015.
• Maccabi's Georgian coach Shota Arveladze hit an impressive 32 goals in 64 UEFA club matches as a player, lifting league titles with Ajax, Rangers and Trabzonspor. He is in his first term in Israel having spent the last five years coaching in Turkey.
Head To Head
This will be the first ever meeting between these sides.
Stats
Dundalk have lost just 12% of their home matches this season and just 33% of their home matches in Europe.
Team News
Right back Alan Keane and left midfielder Darren Meenan are injured, whilst midfielder Stephen O'Donnell is suspended.
Maccabi Tel Aviv are hoping to have a fully fit squad on Thursday.
