Genk v Napoli facts

Genk will look to regroup on home soil after a heavy matchday one defeat but face a stern challenge in the shape of a Napoli side who began Group E with a victory against the holders.

• While Genk slipped to a 6-2 defeat at Salzburg on matchday one, Napoli claimed the scalp of Liverpool, defeating the English club in southern Italy for the second season running in the group stage.

• This is the teams' first meeting.

Form guide
Genk
• The loss at Salzburg means Genk have conceded ten goals in their last two European fixtures, scoring three. It was their heaviest loss in continental competition since a 7-0 defeat at Valencia in the UEFA Champions League group stage in November 2011 – their biggest European defeat.

• Belgian champions for the fourth time in 2018/19, Genk have qualified automatically for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time, their previous appearances, in 2002/03 and 2011/12, having both involved at least one qualifying tie.

• The Belgian club are still awaiting their first victory in the UEFA Champions League proper. In 2002/03 they drew four of their six matches but still finished bottom of a section involving Real Madrid, Roma and AEK Athens; eight years later, they drew all three home games but lost all their away matches in a section also including Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Valencia.

• Genk have lost only two of their 11 home UEFA Champions League matches (W4 D5), qualifying included, and are unbeaten in the last five (W2 D3), since a 2-1 loss against Sarajevo in the 2007/08 second qualifying round.

• In 2018/19 Genk won all six qualifying matches to reach the UEFA Europa League group stage – scoring 22 goals in the process – where they finished ahead of Malmö, Beşiktaş and Sarpsborg. Slavia Praha proved too strong in the round of 32, however, the Czech club winning 4-1 at the KRC Genk Arena after a goalless draw in Prague.

• Genk have scored at least once in 30 of their last 31 European matches, the exception the first leg against Slavia last season.

• Genk were unbeaten in 15 home European matches (W12 D3) before losing to Slavia.

• This is only Genk's fifth match against an Italian club, with the most recent a 2-0 success at Sassuolo in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage. The Belgian club had won 3-1 at home; their only other match against Italian visitors in Belgium brought their first home UEFA Champions League defeat, Roma winning 1-0 in the 2002/03 first group stage.

Napoli
• Late goals from Dries Mertens, a penalty, and substitute Fernando Llorente gave Napoli a 2-0 win against holders Liverpool in their first fixture. It was their third success on matchday one of the UEFA Champions League, and a first since 2016/17.

• Serie A runners-up for the second season running in 2018/19, Napoli are in the group stage for the sixth time – all in the last nine seasons. They reached the round of 16 in 2011/12 and 2016/17 but have finished third in their section in the other three campaigns.

• The Partenopei picked up only two points in last season's group stage away from home, and are without a win in seven away matches in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final (D2 L5).

• Napoli have won only five of their last 15 matches in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final (D3 L7) – all those victories coming at the Stadio San Paolo.

• Having finished third behind Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool in last season's group stage, Napoli kicked off their UEFA Europa League campaign with a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win against Zürich before edging out Salzburg 4-3 over two legs in the round of 16. They were then eliminated from a second European competition of the season by an English club, however, losing 2-0 away to Arsenal and 1-0 at home in the quarter-finals.

• Napoli have lost their last two away European matches, with a 3-1 success at Zürich last season their only victory in six such fixtures (D2 L3).

• The Naples club have lost two of their three away games against Belgian sides, although the most recent trip brought a 1-0 win at Club Brugge in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League group stage.

Links and trivia
• Kalidou Koulibaly joined Napoli from Genk in 2014 having made 64 league appearances for the Belgian side over two seasons, winning the 2012/13 Belgian Cup.

• Napoli's Belgian forward Dries Mertens was in the youth ranks at Stade Leuven, Anderlecht and Gent in his homeland, making his senior debut during a loan spell at third division side Eendracht Aalst in 2005/06 before moving abroad the following summer.

• Ianis Hagi played two Serie A games for Fiorentina in 2016/17.

• International team-mates:
Jhon Lucumí & David Ospina (Colombia)

Latest news

Genk
• Summer transfers
In: Theo Bongonda (Zulte Waregem), Benjamin Nygren (IFK Göteborg), Stephen Odey (Zürich), Ianis Hagi (Viitorul), Carlos Cuesta (Atlético Nacional), Patrik Hrošovský (Viktoria Plzeň), Paul Onuacha (Midtjylland)
Out: Jakub Brabec (Viktoria Plzeň), Ibrahima Seck (Zulte Waregem), Marcus Ingvartsen (Union Berlin), Leandro Trossard (Brighton), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Ruben Seigers (Beerschot Antwerpen, loan), Dante Vanzeir (Mechelen, loan)

• Genk kicked off the new season with a 3-0 win against Mechelen in the Belgian Super Cup on 20 July. It was the second time they had claimed the trophy, and the first since 2011, in their eighth appearance.

• Genk ended a run of three games without a win (D1 L2) in all competitions with a 3-1 defeat of Oostende on 21 September.

• Genk were 3-0 winners at Ronse in the Belgian Cup last 32 on 24 September; they will visit Antwerp in the next stage in early December.

• Including the Belgian Super Cup, the 2-0 loss to Zulte Waregem on 10 August is Genk's only home reverse in their last 12 home matches in all competitions (W9 D2).

• Genk were held 3-3 at Sint-Truiden on Saturday having led 3-0 after 60 minutes.

• Théo Bongonda, who had missed seven games with a back injury, scored his first Genk goal at Sint-Truiden, having been set up by Ianis Hagi, who scored the next two goals himself, both penalties.

• Genk lost two of their first three league games this season, having been unbeaten for their first 15 matches in 2018/19 and not suffered a second defeat until the 23rd round of fixtures.

• They have 14 points after nine matches – nine less than at the same stage of 2018/19.

• Ally Mbwana Samatta has five goals in eight league matches this season, but has not scored in the competition since 23 August although he did find the net against Salzburg.

• First-choice goalkeeper Danny Vukovic has not played since 26 July due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and has not been included in the UEFA Champions League squad.

Napoli
• Summer transfers
In: Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Empoli), David Ospina (Arsenal), Kostas Manolas (Roma), Eljif Elmas (Fenerbahçe), Hirving Lozano (PSV), Fernando Llorente (free agent)
Out: Roberto Insigne (Benevento), Amadou Diawara (Roma), Raúl Albiol (Villarreal), Carlos Vinícius (Benfica), Marko Rog (Cagliari, loan), Gennaro Tutino (Hellas Verona, loan), Adam Ounas (Nice, loan), Vlad Chiricheș (Sassuolo, loan), Simone Verdi (Torino, loan)

• Napoli were 2-1 winners at home to Brescia on Sunday thanks to goals from Dries Mertens – his 21st goal in his last 20 Serie A matches against promoted teams – and Kostas Manolas.

• Having scored against Liverpool, Fernando Llorente added two more in a 4-1 win at Lecce on 22 September. Lorenzo Insigne scored his third goal in four Serie A games while Spanish midfielder Fabián Ruiz opened his account for the season.

• Four days later, Napoli failed to score for the first time this season as they lost 1-0 at home against Cagliari, a game in which Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off.

• That ended Napoli's run of scoring in 18 successive league matches.

• Napoli have the joint best attacking record in Serie A after six games (15 goals) although they have conceded ten goals.

• Napoli have not drawn any of their last 16 games in all competitions (W10 L6).

• Nikola Maksimović missed the game against Cagliari with a left thigh injury, returning to play 76 minutes on Sunday.

• Arkadiusz Milik made his first appearance of the season against Lecce having recovered from a thigh injury.