Prolific rivals set to shoot it out in Poland

Franciszek Smuda is looking forward to facing French opponents for the first time in European competition as KKS Lech Poznań kick off their UEFA Cup campaign against an exciting AS Nancy-Lorraine side.

• This Lech and Nancy's first meeting in UEFA club competition.

• The team Nancy will be up against were previously known as KS Amica Wronki, but they changed their name and moved to Poznań in May 2006, with the club that had been playing as KKS Lech Poznań being dissolved.

• Amica played one game against French opponents, losing 5-1 at AJ Auxerre in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage.

• The old Lech Poznań played four European games against French sides, winning one and losing three. The victory was a 3-2 home success against Olympique de Marseille in the 1990/91 European Champion Clubs' Cup, but in the return leg they lost 6-1 – their joint-worst ever result in Europe.

• Nancy, meanwhile, took on Wisła Kraków in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage, winning 2-1 at home, but this will be their competitive debut in Poland.

• This game will represent a first for experienced Poznań coach Smuda who has never come up against a French side during his previous UEFA competition games in charge at RTS Widzew Łódź, Wisła or AC Omonia.

• Lech have won all three of their UEFA Cup home games this season racking up an impressive aggregate score of 14-3. They beat FK Khazar Lankaran 4-1, set a club record with a 6-0 defeat of Grasshopper-Club and then beat FK Austria Wien 4-2.

• Playing in their second UEFA Cup group-stage campaign after making their debut in the competition in 2006/07, Pablo Correa's Nancy earned their first European away success at the seventh time of asking when they won 2-0 at Motherwell FC in this season's UEFA Cup first round.

• Lech boast one of Poland's most exciting young prospects in 20-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski. Top scorer in the Polish third division in 2006/07 with 15 goals as Znicz Pruszków won promotion, he scored 21 in the second tier the following campaign to earn his move to Poznań.

• He has already scored four goals for Lech in qualifying for the group stage, found the net on his international debut as a substitute against San Marino in September, and also came on in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

• Lech defender Zlatko Tanevski is within a booking of a one-match ban.

• This is Lech's first 2008/09 UEFA Cup group-stage game. Nancy won their opener 3-0 against Feyenoord with goals from Monsef Zerka, Julien Feret and Helder.

• Feyenoord are at home against PFC CSKA Moskva in Matchday 2's other Group H game. RC Deportivo La Coruña are the only team in the section not in action on Thursday.