Liverpool get their Europa League group-stage challenge up and running with an Anfield clash against Steaua Bucharest tonight.
It's only the second time the two teams have met in a European tie, with the previous encounter coming in the UEFA Cup during the 2003-04 campaign.
After a 1-1 first-leg draw in Romania, in which Djimi Traore struck his first and only Reds goal, Harry
Kewell settled the tie with the winner in the return leg at Anfield - a game from which Steven Gerrard is the only player who remains at either club that played in that meeting in front of the Kop.
Liverpool did cross swords with Romanian opposition in last season's Europa League competition in the form of Unirea Urziceni, with the Reds progressing 4-1 on aggregate.
Steaua come into the fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Unirea on Saturday, though they are level on points at the top of the Romanian league with two other Bucharest-based clubs - Rapid and Dinamo - on 14 points.
They qualified for the group stage of the competition after seeing off Swiss side Grasshoppers in the play-off round.
After claiming a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Steaua Stadium thanks to Bogdan Stancu's late strike, Steaua lost the return meeting by the same scoreline in Switzerland meaning they required a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph in order to secure their progression.
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson confirmed on Wednesday he would shuffle his pack for the encounter with the Romanian outfit ahead of the weekend trip to Manchester United.
The Reds are able to select Joe Cole for the contest with the playmaker available again following his domestic suspension.
However, Dirk Kuyt remains sidelined with a shoulder injury while Fabio Aurelio will also again be absent due to injury.
The Militarii are coached by former Tottenham Hotspur striker Ilie Dumitrescu, who spent the 1994-95 season at White Hart Lane after impressing for Romania at the World Cup finals in the USA.
The 41-year-old, who also had a spell at West Ham United, took up the reins last month and believes his side are in for a tough test whoever Hodgson decides to call upon this evening.
He said: "Even if Stevie Gerrard and Torres do not play the other players are important - Joe Cole, David Ngog, Milan Jovanovic all played against Arsenal (on the opening day of the season).
"We are not underestimated, Liverpool have a very important game against Manchester United.
"It will be an important game and we are going to meet a very strong team."
He added: "The best part of my career was here in the Premier League. I know the British mentality and I know Liverpool is a club of tradition.
"We are looking forward to the game. We will try our best but I didn't come here to defend.
"I've come here with a team of young players but I trust in their capacity.
"In my opinion we have a very strong group, a group which could easily be in the Champions League.
Liverpool are favourites in this group, by far."
Steaua are without four players this evening - defenders George Galamaz and Pablo Brandan and strikers Marius Onofras and Marius Bilasco are all ineligible after figuring for Unirea in the Champions League qualifiers.

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