Mladá Boleslav clutch for last straw

FK Mladá Boleslav have another chance to rescue their UEFA Cup group stage campaign as they travel to unbeaten ACF Fiorentina in their final fixture.

• Despite losing their home games against Villarreal CF and AEK Athens FC, a 3-1 win at IF Elfsborg has kept the Czech side buoyant, and while they start Matchday 5 in fourth place, they will qualify if they win in Florence.

• Fiorentina drew their away fixtures against Villarreal and AEK 1-1 either side of a 6-1 win at home against eliminated Elfsborg, and could win the group if they triumph at home against Zdenĕk Ščasný's side.

• Teams finishing top of their sections will be drawn against third-placed finishers in the Round of 32, playing the second legs at home. Second-placed sides take on one of the third-placed sides from the UEFA Champions League groups, also playing the second legs at home.

• Coach Cesare Prandelli will be back on the bench for this concluding fixture, having put assistant Gabriele Pin in charge for the draw in Athens following the death of his wife Manuela at the age of 45 after a long illness.

• Prandelli said: "For a moment back then, I thought about stepping down, but the affection I have received and the sense of responsibility towards the club, the team and the city made me rule out this thought. My relationship with the city of Florence and the fans is, and will continue to be, unbreakable."

• Centre-back Per Krøldrup is available again after returning from injury, while Tomáš Ujfaluši has also had injury problems in recent weeks.

• Ujfaluši and Mladá Boleslav goalkeeper Petr Pizanowski were team-mates at SK Sigma Olomouc between 1996 and 1999.

• The two teams have never met in UEFA club competition.

• Fiorentina faced Czech opposition once before in a 1996/97 UEFA Cup second-round tie, winning 2-1 at home against AC Sparta Praha and progressing with a 1-1 draw away.

• Mladá Boleslav have already met Italian opponents this season, knocking US Città di Palermo out in the first round 4-2 on penalties after trading 1-0 away wins in the two-legged tie. They have thus won their only game in Italy to date.

• Mladá Boleslav are yet to lose an away game in two UEFA Cup group stage campaigns, drawing two and winning one.

• Mladá Boleslav midfielder Marek Matĕjovský, who broke into the Czech national side this year, celebrates his 26th birthday on the day of the match. However, he is suspended for the Fiorentina game, having picked up three yellow cards since the start of the first round.

• Mladá Boleslav's Vacláv Procházka, Jakub Řezníček and Ivo Táborský are all within a booking of a suspension, as is Fiorentina’s Marco Donadel.

• AEK are at home against Villarreal in Thursday's other Group C game.

• The draw for the Round of 32 and Round of 16 will be held in Nyon on 21 December from 13.00CET.