Žilina hope to be alright on first night

It will be a night of firsts for MŠK Žilina as they prepare to make their UEFA Cup group stage debut against Hamburger SV, in what will also be a maiden meeting with German opposition.

• This is Žilina and Hamburg's first meeting in UEFA club competition.

• Žilina have not played a competitive game against a German side before, and Hamburg have never come up against Slovakian opponents either.

• There have been 21 games between German and Slovakian sides in UEFA club competition, of which the Slovakian side has won three, drawn four and lost 14. In Slovakia, the home side's record has been won two, drawn four and lost five – an encouraging sign for Hamburg.

• Žilina, however, have not been defeated in their last five European home games, winning three and drawing two. Hamburg, meanwhile, have lost just one of their last eight UEFA competition away games, winning five and drawing two.

• Hamburg's well-travelled Dutch coach Martin Jol has also never taken on Slovakian opponents before, but his opposite number Dušan Radolský has a small amount of experience of German opposition.

• Radolský coached Polish side Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski as they secured a famous two-legged UEFA Cup first round win in 2003 against Hertha BSC Berlin, drawing 0-0 in Berlin but taking the tie with a 1-0 win at home courtesy of a late goal by Grzegorz Rasiak.

• Rasiak briefly played under Jol at Tottenham Hotspur FC. The Dutchman signed him from Derby County FC in 2005, although he was to make just eight Premier League appearances for the club. He is now at Watford FC.

• Hamburg's Thimothée Atouba has definitely seen Žilina play at least twice before. He was an unused substitute in both legs as FC Basel 1893 drew 1-1 in Slovakia and then beat Žilina 3-0 at home in the second qualifying round of the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League.

• Žilina finished as runners-up to FC Artmedia Petržalka in last season's Slovakian Superliga to earn a UEFA Cup first qualifying round place. They then overcame Belarus's FC MTZ-RIPO Minsk, the Czech Republic's FC Slovan Liberec and Bulgaria's PFC Levski Sofia to become the first Slovakian side to play in the UEFA Cup group stage.

• Hamburg finished fourth in the Bundesliga to earn their first round place, and beat Romania's AFC Unirea Urziceni to book their berth in the UEFA Cup group stage for a third time.

• They reached the Round of 16 last season, losing to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, having also done so in 2005/06, bowing out to Romania's AFC Rapid Bucureşti.

• Aston Villa FC take on AFC Ajax in Matchday 1's other Group F game. SK Slavia Praha are the only side in the section not in action on 23 October.