The Czech champions have lost both their home matches without scoring in the group, with Bayern Munich claiming a 1-0 win after three second-half goals had done the job for Manchester City, but it was a different story for Pavel Vrba's men in previous seasons.
They won 10 of their 11 preceding fixtures at the Doosan Arena in UEFA competitions, while CSKA's away form on the continent has taken a similar nosedive.
Before comprehensive 3-0 and 5-2 reverses at the respective hands of Bayern and City, they had only lost two of their previous 11 away trips a run that played a part in four consecutive successful group campaigns across the UEFA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
http://tinyurl.com/ppd2u6f
Keisuke Honda scored for CSKA in their win over Plzen in September and this game will be the Japan playmaker's last on the Russian club's books as he is set to join AC Milan on a free transfer in January.
The match also marks the end of an era for Vrba, who will leave Plzen on December 15 to take charge of the Czech national team.
Vrba took charge of Plzen in 2008, winning the club's first piece silverware - the Czech cup - in his second season, before going on to claim the 2011 and 2013 Gambrinus Liga titles.
Vrba is set to take up the position of Czech Republic coach at the conclusion of Plzen's Champions League campaign, which will follow the home clash with CSKA Moscow.
The former MSK Zilina boss has presided over almost six years of unprecedented success at the Doosan Arena and will be hoping his players can edge above CSKA and into third place in Group D by beating the Russians by a greater margin than their 3-2 loss in the return fixture
They won 10 of their 11 preceding fixtures at the Doosan Arena in UEFA competitions, while CSKA's away form on the continent has taken a similar nosedive.
Before comprehensive 3-0 and 5-2 reverses at the respective hands of Bayern and City, they had only lost two of their previous 11 away trips a run that played a part in four consecutive successful group campaigns across the UEFA Cup, Champions League and Europa League.
http://tinyurl.com/ppd2u6f
Keisuke Honda scored for CSKA in their win over Plzen in September and this game will be the Japan playmaker's last on the Russian club's books as he is set to join AC Milan on a free transfer in January.
The match also marks the end of an era for Vrba, who will leave Plzen on December 15 to take charge of the Czech national team.
Vrba took charge of Plzen in 2008, winning the club's first piece silverware - the Czech cup - in his second season, before going on to claim the 2011 and 2013 Gambrinus Liga titles.
Vrba is set to take up the position of Czech Republic coach at the conclusion of Plzen's Champions League campaign, which will follow the home clash with CSKA Moscow.
The former MSK Zilina boss has presided over almost six years of unprecedented success at the Doosan Arena and will be hoping his players can edge above CSKA and into third place in Group D by beating the Russians by a greater margin than their 3-2 loss in the return fixture