Napoli in need of Feyenoord fillip

Beaten on matchday one, SSC Napoli and Feyenoord meet for the first time in the second round of Group F matches with neither daring to slip further off the pace.

• Napoli went down 2-1 at FC Shakhtar Donetsk first time out while Feyenoord suffered their heaviest European home defeat in losing 4-0 against Manchester City FC. To get back on track, the Rotterdam team must aim for a first win against Italian opposition since 2002, although Napoli arguably face an even stiffer challenge: they have never overcome Dutch opponents in four previous attempts. 

Match background

Napoli
• Napoli are in the group stage for the second year in a row. In 2016/17, the Partenopei lost to eventual champions Real Madrid CF in the round of 16, succumbing 3-1 both away and at home.

• Last season's defeat by Real Madrid was only Napoli's second loss in their last 22 European home fixtures (W14 D6).

• In last year's group stage, Napoli picked up four points at home, beating SL Benfica 4-2 but losing 3-2 against Beşiktaş JK.

• The Italian side qualified for this season's group stage by seeing off OGC Nice 2-0 both home and away in the play-offs.

• Napoli's home record against Dutch opposition is W0 D1 L1. They drew 0-0 with FC Utrecht in their first home encounter, in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage, also drawing 3-3 away; the Neapolitans then lost both away (0-3) – with Dries Mertens getting the hosts' second goal – and home (1-3) to PSV Eindhoven at the same stage of the same competition in 2012/13. Edinson Cavani scored all four of their goals against Eredivisie clubs.

Feyenoord
• The Dutch team's overall record against Serie A sides reads W4 D4 L4; away it is W2 D1 L3.

• Feyenoord have not beaten an Italian opponent, home or away, since a 1-0 success at FC Internazionale Milano in the semi-final first leg of their triumphant UEFA Cup campaign in 2001/02. Their record since is D3 L2.

• A 3-0 victory at R. Standard de Liège in the UEFA Europa League group stage on 12 December 2014 is Feyenoord's only win in their last 15 European away games (D3 L11).

• Feyenoord's last away victory in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, was the 1-0 triumph at Newcastle United FC on 24 September 2002.

• Having lifted a first Eredivisie title in 18 years last term, Feyenoord are now in the last 32 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2002/03, when they were eliminated in the first group stage.

• The Rotterdammers lost in the third qualifying round in both 2012/13 (to FC Dynamo Kyiv) and 2014/15 (to Beşiktaş JK).

Coach and player links
• Mertens played in the Netherlands with AGOVV Appeldorn (2007–09), Utrecht (2009–11) and PSV (2011–13), winning the Dutch Cup with PSV in 2012.

• Mertens faced Feyenoord nine times in league and cup (W3 D2 L4), scoring twice.

• Arkadiusz Milik was at AFC Ajax between 2014 and 2016, netting 32 times in 52 Eredivisie outings, including two draws with Feyenoord.

• Kevin Diks is on loan at Feyenoord from ACF Fiorentina, for whom his second and most recent league appearance was a 3-3 draw with Napoli on 22 December 2016.

• Played together:
Pepe Reina & Brad Jones (Liverpool FC, 2010–13)

• Feyenoord coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst scored in the Netherlands' 3-0 win against Italy in the UEFA EURO 2008 group stage.

Match facts

Napoli
• Including the final five games of last season, Napoli have won their last 11 Serie A matches, most recently a 3-2 success at SPAL 2013 on Saturday – a new club record. The Serie A record is 17, set by FC Internazionale Milano in 2006/07.

• Victory at SPAL was Napoli's seventh straight away win in the league – another club record.

• The Partenopei have scored 13 goals in three fixtures since matchday one, defeating Benevento 6-0 and SS Lazio 4-1 before Saturday's 3-2 win.

• Mertens registered a hat-trick, his third for Napoli since early December, against Benevento.

• Mertens has six goals in six league appearances this term.

• Summer signing Adam Ounas, fit again after a thigh injury, made his Napoli debut as a second-half substitute against Benevento.

• Arkadiusz Milik limped out of Napoli's 3-2 win over SPAL on Saturday having injured his right knee. He tore his cruciate ligament in his left knee last October.

Feyenoord
• Steven Berghuis was sent off as Feyenoord suffered their first league defeat of the season on 17 September, losing 1-0 at PSV.

• Berghuis opened the scoring three days later as Feyenoord returned to winning ways by defeating ADO Den Haag 2-0 at home in the Dutch Cup round of 64.

• Nicolai Jørgensen has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury against Heracles Almelo on 9 September.