Palermo plan to derail Lokomotiv

US Città di Palermo and FC Lokomotiv Moskva experienced contrasting fortunes in their opening round of fixtures in UEFA Cup Group B, and will be hoping for three points from their meeting in Italy for different reasons. Palermo employed an attacking formation away at Israeli side Maccabi Petach-Tikva FC and were rewarded with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals at the start and end of the match from Franco Brienza and defender Christian Terlizzi. Lokomotiv, however, began in disappointing fashion as Raúl Tamudo's strike gave RCD Espanyol a 1-0 away win in Moscow.

• Palermo won a UEFA Cup place - the club's first ever foray into UEFA competition - by finishing sixth in Serie A in 2004/05, their first season in the Italian top flight in 30 years. The Sicilian side have since won all three games in the competition, defeating Anorthosis Famagusta FC of Cyprus 2-1 at home and 4-0 away in the first round before their success against Maccabi.

• Lokomotiv have met three Italian clubs in successive seasons in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League since the turn of the century. The Russian side lost both games to AS Roma in 2001/02 with a 2-1 defeat in Rome and a 1-0 loss in Moscow before bowing out of the competition.

• The following season, Lokomotiv reached the second group stage where they met AC Milan, who won both games 1-0 on their way to lifting the trophy.

• In 2003/04 Lokomotiv gained their first success against Italian opposition in UEFA competition with the scalp of FC Internazionale Milano. The match in Moscow was won 3-0 thanks to goals from Dmitry Loskov, Mikheil Ashvetia and Dmitry Khokhlov, with Loskov's goal in the return fixture helping ensure Lokomotiv's progress to the first knockout round.

• Lokomotiv's first tie against an Italian club came in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup when Juventus won 3-0 in Turin and 1-0 in Moscow for a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

• It was also an Italian club who halted the Russian side's march towards their first European final. In the 1998/99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-final, Lokomotiv played S.S. Lazio and although both legs were drawn, it was the Italian side who progressed. The first game in Moscow finished 1-1, Zaza Janashia scoring for Lokomotiv, but a goalless draw in the second leg sent Lazio through on away goals. Lokomotiv therefore visit Palermo looking for their first win on Italian soil, with their previous five trips having produced two draws and three defeats.