Fiorentina look for another home fillip

ACF Fiorentina are looking for a third successive Group E win when they welcome a Debreceni VSC team who make a first trip to Italy knowing they must avoid defeat to prolong their first UEFA Champions League campaign.

• Fiorentina's first experience of Hungarian opposition since 1966/67 was a positive one on Matchday 3, Adrian Mutu scoring twice as the Viola found the net four times in the first half in Budapest to run out 4-3 victors. The result leaves the Italian side with six points, three behind section leaders Olympique Lyonnais but three above Liverpool FC.

• Péter Czvitkovics scored Debrecen's first group-stage goal in the first game between the sides, yet the Hungarian champions have now lost all three Group E games and cannot afford another reverse at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Match background
• While Debrecen had never met Italian opposition prior to this season, Fiorentina have faced Hungarian teams twice before, both in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the 1960s.

• Fiorentina defeated Újpest FC both home and away in a 3-0 aggregate success in the 1961/62 semi-final – the first ever meeting between Italian and Hungarian teams in UEFA's club competitions. The holders failed to retain their trophy, however, losing to Club Atlético de Madrid in the final.

• The Viola then beat Györi ETO FC 1-0 in Florence in the first round of the same competition in 1966/67. That first-leg lead disappeared when they succumbed 4-2 in the return in the Hungarian capital.

• Fiorentina ended a five-game winless run at home in Europe with their 2-0 victory against Liverpool on Matchday 2.

• Qualifiers included, Debrecen have recorded two wins and two defeats so far on their travels in this season's competition.

• Hungarian sides have traditionally enjoyed little success in Italy down the years – recording two victories, four draws and 13 defeats on 19 previous visits.

Team ties
• Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli had his first taste of UEFA club competition against Hungarian opposition 30 years ago. As a 22-year-old with Juventus he made his European debut in a 2-0 home win against Györ in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round, appearing again in the 2-1 return loss in Hungary. It was the only time that Prandelli faced a team from Hungary during his playing career.

• Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetić scored twice for Montenegro in a 3-3 friendly draw with Hungary at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest on 20 August 2008. Debrecen's Zoltán Szélesi, László Bodnár and Gergely Rudolf all played for Hungary.

• Debrecen midfielder Tibor Dombi appeared as a substitute for Hungary in a 2-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw with Italy in Budapest in September 2000. Defender Bodnár featured in the return fixture in Parma in October 2001, which Italy won 1-0.

• Bodnár has also played against Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League before, featuring in the FC Dynamo Kyiv side defeated 2-1 at home by Juventus in the 2002/03 group stage. He was an unused substitute when Dynamo lost 5-0 at Juventus in that same campaign.