Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's crucial Europa League clash between Rubin Kazan and Wigan Athletic. The winner of this match will take control of Group K and be on the verge of qualifying for the next round, so it is all to play for tonight.

We'll start by looking at our hosts tonight, and Rubin Kazan have cruised through the group stages so far. Their only hiccup was a couple of weeks ago when they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Latics in rainy Wigan. Their tally of seven points from three games puts them two clear at the top of Group K, and a win this afternoon would virtually book their spot in the next round.

They must be confident going into this match too. They have a very good record in the Europa League, winning nine of their last 10 matches in the competition, with the only blemish again being that draw against Wigan. The last time any side beat them in Europe was last season's quarter-final, when eventual winners Chelsea triumphed.

Their home record is even more impressive when it comes to continental football. They have won each of their last six games in the Europa League, keeping a clean sheet in five of them and scoring 15 goals at an average of three per game. If you stretch the net out to include Champions League matches as well, things get even more daunting for Wigan. Rubin have only lost once at home in Europe since 2006, with the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur failing to win here.

That is a record that they can justifiably be proud of. Their recent form, however, is not. They currently sit 12th in the Russian Premier League, just one place above the relegation playoff positions. They have amassed 17 points from their 15 games so far, with draws being their biggest problem. Despite their poor league position, they have only been beaten four times this season, but they have also drawn eight and won just three.

They have not won any of their last five games going into this match, losing three and drawing two in that time. The biggest embarrassment in that run was a 4-2 loss at the hands of a Russian Second Division side in the cup.

Of course, Wigan are also a team from the second tier, but they have not been playing like it so far in Europe. Few expected them to make such a promising start to their debut campaign on the continent, but having remained unbeaten in their first three games they are now very well placed to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition. Indeed, a win tonight, however unlikely, would see them leapfrog their hosts into first position in Group D.

They come into this game on the back of a four-match unbeaten streak, although three of those games have been draws. They have, however, only been beaten once in their last seven matches in all competitions and currently sit 10th in the Championship with the fourth best defence in the league.

While 10th place may not sound great for a club with high ambitions of bouncing straight back to the Premier League, it is not bad when you consider the fact that they have had to juggle these European commitments. The club has never had to deal with anything like this before and, if they can keep it up and stay within touch of the playoffs in the Championship (they are currently four points off sixth), then it would be a major achievement. You'd have to think that domestic duties would be a priority for Own Coyle, though.

Wigan's biggest trouble so far this season has been their away form, which is dreadful by any standards. They have not won any of their last eight matches on their travels, if you include the Community Shield final at Wembley, and even more worryingly they have not scored in any of those games either. The last time they found the net away from home was on the opening day of the season when they beat Barnsley 4-0.

TEAM NEWS: To fill you in on the team news, Wigan are without their top two keepers for tonight's match so 21-year-old Lee Nicholls will make his European debut in goal for the club. Elsewhere, Callum McManaman starts and Grant Holt leads the line as he did two weeks ago. Full team news coming up.

WIGAN STARTING XI: Nicholls; Shotton, Barnett, Rogne, Crainey; Perch, McArthur, Espinoza, McManaman, McClean; Holt

RUBIN KAZAN STARTING XI: Ryzhikov; Kuzmin, Mavinga, Cesar Navas, Sharonov; Ryazantsev, Torbinski, R Eremenko, Natcho; M'Vila, Mukhametshin

Perhaps the biggest shock in either lineup is the absence of Nick Powell, who has been so impressive for the Latics since joining on loan from Manchester United. He was the man who scored Wigan's equaliser in the reverse fixture between the two sides, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him come off the bench if Wigan are in need of a creative spark tonight.

PREDICTION: There are just five minutes until kickoff in Kazan, so it is about time I made a prediction for this one! This is one of the toughest looking fixtures in the recent history of Wigan. Some of Europe's biggest and best teams have come here and left with nothing, making this an even more daunting task for a side who are still wet behind the ears when it comes to European football. I can't see the Latics pulling off an upset here but, with Rubin's poor recent form, they may have a chance to nick the draw. Overall, though, I think the hosts will be too strong for Wigan, so I will go for a 2-0 win to Rubin Kazan.

It is by no means a full stadium in Russia, which could be of benefit to Wigan. There aren't really enough fans to intimidate the opposition here, but there still seems to be something different about Kazan at home in Europe.

The hosts' dangerman tonight will most likely be Yann M'Vila, who has drawn a lot of attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. There were a plethora of scouts out to see him at the DW Stadium, and he will have another chance to impress tonight.

KICKOFF: Rubin Kazan get us underway here in a big match for both sides. Control of Group D rests on this game, and whoever wins - if we have a winner - would be on the verge of qualification.

The hosts have made the brighter start here as they take an early control of the ball, as expected. Wigan are going to have to do a lot of running off the ball tonight if they are to stop Rubin Kazan.

Poor challenge from McArthur as he crunches into M'Vila with a late, high tackle. He is fortunate that the ref didn't book him there, perhaps a little later in the game he would have.

Wigan are defending very deep already, and it is clear what their tactics are tonight. They are looking to crowd out the middle of the park and get 10 men behind the ball whenever the hosts have it, before breaking quickly if they win it back.

Crainey makes an important interception from a cross and looks for Espinosa in midfield. He takes it up the pitch a bit before looking for Holt with a diagonal ball, but the pass is poor and runs out for a goal kick.

We're still waiting for this match to really get going at the moment. Wigan are simply challenging Rubin Kazan to come and break them down and, after 10 minutes, the hosts have showed no signs of being able to do so.

Wigan have their best moment of the match so far as McClean finds space to cross on the left flank. He fizzes a low ball into the box, but the keeper makes an important interception to stop it reaching Holt at the back post.

Wigan are caught out a little by a quick corner that is given to Mavinga inside the box. The Frenchman never really looks comfortable with it, however, and his attempted cross is easily cut out, drawing very optimistic claims for a handball.

UPDATE: There is one other game going on in the Europa League at the moment and Swansea have taken the lead in it. Wilfried Bony has put the Swans 1-0 ahead against Kuban Krasnodar.

McClean is the only player who looks capable of creating something for the visitors at the moment. He skips past Sharonov on the left before sending a dangerous cross towards the near post, but no blue and white shirts are attacking it and Cesar can put it behind for a corner.

Wigan have improved a little in the last few minutes and they are now starting to play a bit of football of their own. They still aren't committing too many forward but they don't really need to. It may not be spectacle so far, but I'm sure Owen Coyle would be happy with a goalless bore draw tonight.

Sharonov is going to need some treatment here after a heavy collision with a couple of Wigan players. I think it was Holt who did the main damage with an untidy tackle. The Rubin skipper refuses the stretcher and will be able to carry on.

The hosts make the breakthrough after a momentary defensive lapse from Wigan. McClean failed to track his man, allowing Kuzmin to get on the end of a lovely chipped through ball. He controls it well and advances into the area before drilling it past Nicholls, who perhaps could have done better too. Wigan's task just got a whole lot harder.

That goal could make things a little more interesting now. Wigan will need to play a bit more now and take more risks, which should open up more gaps for the hosts as well.

Rubin Kazan are really controlling this game at the moment, playing it at their own tempo as Wigan continue to chase shadows. The hosts look a lot more comfortable in possession than the Latics.

Wigan have their first real effort on goal of the night as Espinoza picks out Holt in the box with a diagonal ball from deep. The big striker peels off his man and gets a head to it, but he is too far out to trouble the keeper and his header loops harmlessly over the top.

That flank is where most attacks seem to be happening for both sides so far. Wigan are making their most promising progress down the left with McClean and, just then, Espinoza, while Rubin's goal came down the same flank when McClean didn't track back.

Holt does seem to be having some joy with the long balls forward, but they aren't exactly coming to him very often. He has won pretty much every single one so far, but his knockdowns haven't found teammates as he is too isolated.

Barnett gets a rather fortuitous decision as he comes leaping over the back of Mukhametshin, who just stays where he is and is penalised. Not much he could've done there.

YELLOW CARD! Perch becomes the first man in the book tonight for a clumsy challenge in midfield.

Rogne makes an important block to deny Kuzmin another special moment. The ball fell to the full-back on the edge of the box and he hit it well enough, but Rogne was in the right place at the right time to protect Nicholls in the Wigan goal. At the other end, Espinoza makes a promising break and goes down inside the box, but the ref is right to wave away the penalty claims.

These two sides could well have opposite interests this season. For Wigan, their priority is likely to be the league, with a European run being a bonus if it happens, and only if it doesn't impact on their form in the Championship. Rubin Kazan, on the other hand, look like they have made this competition their priority as they continue to stutter in the league.

YELLOW CARD! Torbinski can have no complaints here as he takes McManaman down just as the Wigan man looked to be setting off on a run for the first time tonight.

Brilliant delivery from McClean as he puts an inswinging into the box from deep. It is just a yard or two in front of a mass of bodies in the area and skims off the turf and just past the post. That was not far away from going straight in, or getting any sort of touch that would have resulted in a goal.

McClean reacts angrily to a robust challenge from Kuzmin after the full-back had hacked the winger down. It doesn't quite boil over on this occasion, but there looks to be a bit of animosity brewing between those two.

Ryzhinov struggles to deal with another high ball into the box. He came to punch it but got very little on the ball, and he is lucky that it falls to Mavinga, who hacks it clear.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

That wasn't the most exciting half of football you will ever experience, but there were one or two promising signs for Wigan towards the end of the half. There is no doubt that Rubin Kazan deserve their lead at the break having controlled the vast majority of the match so far, but while the score remains 1-0 the visitors will still believe that they have a chance here.

A rare goal from Oleg Kuzmin is the difference between the two sides at half time, and it came from a lapse of concentration from McClean. The Wigan winger failed to track his man, who latches on to a good ball over the defence to fire past Nicholls. The strike was pretty much straight at the keeper and Nicholls may feel that he could have done better with it, but the main mistake was McClean's not his.

Other than that, we really haven't had any more goalmouth action to talk about. For all of their possession, Rubin Kazan have found it hard to break down the Wigan defence and Nicholls has had a quiet European debut with the exception of the goal.

At the other end, Wigan have created even less in front of goal. McClean has looked like their most dangerous player so far with a couple of promising runs down the left, but they haven't tested Ryzhikov yet. Holt has not been involved as much as he would have liked, but that is another route that holds some promise for the Latics as he has won quite a few headers.

Of course, Wigan did come from a goal down against Rubin Kazan at the DW Stadium a fortnight ago, but a similar feat this evening is much more unlikely. Coyle does have options on the bench, however, and it may not be long before we see the likes of Powell - who scored the equaliser two weeks ago - and Fortune, who had a big impact when he came on in that match and should have won the game for the Latics late on.

As things stand, Rubin Kazan would be on the verge of qualification in Group D. The other match in the group kicks off in one minute, and I will keep you up to date with any goals that go in as Maribor host Zulte-Waregem.

While this still looks an unlikely challenge for Wigan, that first half may have given them a bit of confidence despite being second best. Rubin dominated possession but struggled to breach the Wigan defence, and the Latics will know that a one-goal lead is never safe. They are still very much in this one, but they need to create more in the final third. It is vital that they get the next goal here.

RUBIN KAZAN SUB: The hosts make a change at half time, bringing on Sergey Kislyak for Mavinga, who has presumably picked up an injury in that first half. That is a midfielder on for a defender.

KICKOFF: Wigan get us back underway in Kazan as they look to pull off a comeback in this second half to maintain their unbeaten start to the European season.

Kislyak is involved straight away as he exchanges passes with a couple of teammates before lifting a pass over the defence for Mukhametshin to run on to. It is too heavy and runs through to the keeper, however, and the lonely Rubin striker trots back from yet another unproductive run.

Espinoza gets onto his strongest left foot in a shooting position inside the box, but his effort is well blocked. Decent start to the half from both sides.

Rubin Kazan string a lot of passes together as they patiently probe for a way through the Wigan defence. In the end, the move is stopped when M'Vila went for a one-two on the edge of the box, but that was good, confident attacking football from the hosts.

Mukhametshin almost finds a way through the defence but once again he is denied. The Russian striker has not had much joy so far tonight, and I wonder whether we will see Prudnikov, who troubled the Wigan defence in the reverse fixture, at some point in the near future.

YELLOW CARD! Cesar is shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Holt, who will need treatment after that. The big striker limps off the field but should be able to continue.

Shotton's long throw causes havoc inside the box as the keeper gets caught between a couple of his own players and completely misses the ball. Barnett is waiting a couple of yards out but can only slice a shot onto the bar, before his blushes are spared by the referee's whistle. He awards a free kick for a foul on the keeper, but that is a very harsh decision.

CHANCE! Good goalkeeping from Nicholls as Kislyak threads a ball through to Mukhametshin, who only has the keeper to beat. The striker tries to take it round him having reached the ball first, but Nicholls read it and stood up well before nicking it off his toe.

WIGAN SUB: Attacking change from Owen Coyle as he brings on Nick Powell for James Perch. That is a real statement of intent from the Wigan boss as he looks to get something out of this game.

Wigan are almost caught out by a long ball over the top, but Torbinski delays his shot too much and is forced back by some good defending by Rogne. Eremenko is following in, but he can't direct a shot on target and the visitors can clear the danger.

SHOT! Ryzantsev whips a snapshot a couple of yards past Nicholls's post having turned and found space just inside the Wigan box. It was good idea to take the shot early, but he couldn't quite find the bottom corner.

YELLOW CARD! Crainey is the latest man in the book for a foul on Ryazantsev. The full-back was well beaten by the Rubin man and pulled him back cynically to stop him in his tracks.

SHOT! Nice play from Powell as he skips away from a couple of tackles with some clever skill before firing a long range effort a yard or two wide of the post. That is the first time we have seen anything like that from Wigan tonight, and it is also the closest that they have come to scoring.

YELLOW CARD! The referee plays some good advantage as Rubin attack but then goes back to show McClean a yellow card for a foul on Natcho in the middle of the park. He can have no complaints there.

WIGAN SUB: Grant Holt was ineffective in the first match between these two and he has been again tonight. He makes way to be replaced by Marc-Antoine Fortune, who had a couple of really good chances to win the game for Wigan two weeks ago but is still looking for his first goal of the season.

Confident build-up play from the hosts as they knock the ball about nicely on the edge of the box. The move ends with M'Vila shooting a long way wide, but even with finishing like that it is Rubin Kazan who look most like scoring at the moment.

WIGAN SUB: McManaman has struggled to make an impact tonight, largely due to the close marking that he has received. He won't play any further part in this match as he is replaced by Jordi Gomez.

RUBIN KAZAN SUB: Torbinki's evening is over as he is replaced by Wakaso. Wakaso also came on in the reverse fixture and certainly made an impact. He is one of those eccentric wingers who always seem to be involved, but not always in a good way.

Powell has a chance to cross it in from the left flank, but his delivery is poor, bouncing straight through to the keeper at the front post. There was only one man in the box to aim for there, though, which is not enough if Wigan want to get something out of this game.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in the other Group D match currently taking place, and it is Zulte-Waregem who have taken the lead against Maribor. Swansea, meanwhile, still lead 1-0 and Kuban have been reduced to 10 men.

SHOT! Fortune shows good strength to roll his man inside the box and create a chance to shoot. He is at a tight angle and should shoot across the keeper, but instead goes for the near post and shanks it into the side netting. That was a poor finish after some good work.

OFF THE BAR! Oh Wigan come within inches of grabbing an equaliser! Espinoza lifts a cross into the box and Rogne rises higher than his marker to direct his header towards the far corner. The keeper is beaten all ends up, but the Norwegian's effort bounces off the underside of the bar. So close.

RUBIN KAZAN SUB: Mukhametshin hasn't had much joy tonight and he goes off to be replaced by Alexander Prudnikov, who got Rubin's goal at the DW Stadium a couple of weeks ago.

Rubin Kazan have looked content with the 1-0 scoreline since taking the lead, but it is a dangerous tactic. Rogne's header shows that such a lead is never safe, and now the hosts are in for a nervy final few minutes.

Eremenko plays a brilliant pass through the heart of the defence that appears to give Prudnikov a one-on-one with Nicholls, but the striker is offside. He didn't know that when he shot, however, and nor did Nicholls, who made a very good save.

A Shotton long throw comes to nothing and suddenly Rubin Kazan break away and have a four-on-one situation. Wakaso is the man with the ball, but he manages to pick out the one Wigan defender when looking to square the ball for his teammate. That was a real chance to kill the game off.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match. Can Wigan find a dramatic late equaliser?

Wakaso goes for goal from a long, long way out, but he is just giving the ball straight back to Wigan as he is never going to score from there.

Wigan have a free kick in a very promising position here in the closing stages. This may well be their best chance of the match so far. Jordi Gomez is standing over it...

...the effort hits the top of the wall and, after a couple of fiercely-contested headers inside the box, the hosts hack it clear. That could well be that tonight.

The referee blows for full time as Wigan fall to their first European defeat at the hands of Rubin Kazan. All in all, you'd have to say that the hosts deserved the victory, but Wigan gave a good account of themselves and almost pulled off an unlikely result with some late pressure.

The Latics remain on five points, but the good news for them is that Zulte-Waregem are beating Maribor at half time of their match, which would ensure that Wigan stay second. It was almost a lot better for them as Rogne hit the bar in the 83rd minute, but that was by far their best moment of the match. Owen Coyle probably won't have been expecting much from today's game so the fact that they stayed in it right until the end will please him.

As for Rubin Kazan, they move onto the magic 10-point mark and are all but through to the knockout rounds now. They can still mathematically be caught, but that would take a remarkable set of results and a substantial swing in the goal difference. They weren't at their best today, but they did enough to win the match.

Right, that is all we have time for from this game tonight. Thank you for joining Sports Mole on a disappointing but not devastating night for Wigan as they lose for the first time in Europe. I will leave you with our match report, while you can also check out more live commentaries from the Europa League here. I will be back in half an hour for the match between Tottenham and Sheriff, so join me again for that! Until then, though, it is goodbye.