Nordsjælland need points not plaudits against Juve

FC Nordsjælland have garnered plaudits but no points from their first two UEFA Champions League outings and will be seeking to get off the mark in Group E at the third attempt with the visit of Juventus.

• The Danish champions lost 2-0 at FC Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday one and enjoyed a lot of possession at home to Chelsea FC but conceded three late goals to go down 4-0.

• Juventus were 2-0 down at Chelsea in their opening fixture before striking back to earn a point. The Italian champions again fell behind in their first European game at their new Juventus Stadium home before Leonardo Bonucci found an equaliser, the contest against Shakhtar ending 1-1.

Match background
• This is the first time Nordsjælland have met Italian opposition in a European game. Juventus have only faced one Danish team – 30 years ago.

• On 15 September 1982 they beat Hvidovre IF 4-1 in Copenhagen in a European Champion Clubs' Cup first round encounter. Michel Platini – who would also score in the Turin return two weeks later – Paolo Rossi, Sergio Brio and Antonio Cabrini got the Juve goals, Erik Jensen replying. The second leg in Italy finished 3-3, the Danish side scoring twice in the final seven minutes to snatch a draw.

• Nordsjælland have had four campaigns in the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, reaching the first round proper twice. On each occasion they lost to Greek opponents, going down to Panionios GSS in 2003/04 and Olympiacos FC in 2008/09.

• Last year the Farum club were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Sporting Clube de Portugal at the first hurdle for the second season in a row, losing 2-1 away from home after a goalless first leg in the play-offs.

• The Danish champions have won only three of their eight home games in UEFA competition; the Chelsea reverse extended their winless run on their own turf to four matches, three of which ended in defeat. Indeed, Nordsjælland are without a victory in eight European games home and away, losing seven; their last win was 2-1 at home to Queen of the South FC in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup second qualifying round.

• Juventus, winners of the Scudetto in 2011/12 and unbeaten in the 38-game season, are making their first UEFA Champions League appearance since 2009/10. Three years ago they drew 0-0 at FC Bayern München, won 1-0 at Maccabi Haifa FC and lost 2-0 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

Team ties
• Michael Laudrup, father of Nordsjælland forward Andreas, was on Juventus's books between 1983 and 1989, scoring 16 goals in 102 games.

• Nicklas Bendtner has won 54 caps for Denmark, scoring 21 goals, but has never played in the Danish league.

• Nicolai Stokholm and Bendtner were in the Denmark team beaten 3-1 in Italy in FIFA World Cup qualifying on 16 October, Kasper Lorentzen coming on as a second-half substitute while Jesper Hansen and Jores Okore were on the bench. Pirlo captained Italy, who also included Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Claudio Marchisio plus substitute Emanuele Giaccherini. Sebastian Giovinco and Leonardo Bonucci were unused replacements.

• Michael Parkhurst was an unused substitute as the United States defeated Italy 1-0 in a Genoa friendly on 29 February 2012. Gianluigi Buffon, Barzagli, Chiellini, Pirlo, Marchisio, Giovinco and Alessandro Matri all played for Italy.

• Luca Marrone started Italy's 2-2 Under-21 friendly draw with Denmark in Viareggio on 11 August 2010. Andreas Laudrup was an unused substitute for the visitors.

• Hansen, Henrik Kildentoft and Lorentzen were in the Danish U21 team that defeated Italy 3-0 on 12 February 2002 in a tournament in Portgual.

• Mark Gundelach was in the Denmark U20 team that suffered a 3-1 loss to Italy in Hvidovre on 18 April 2012. 

FARE Action Week
• Matchday three of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League will contribute to the fight against all forms of discrimination in football stadiums as UEFA gives its full support to Europe's biggest anti-discrimination campaign – the FARE Action Week. Forty matches across the competitions on 23, 24 and 25 October will restate UEFA's commitment to ensuring that European football is free of racism, intolerance and xenophobia.