European novices welcome heavyweights

Portsmouth FC will play their first UEFA club competition fixture under new manager Tony Adams as AC Milan come to Fratton Park needing only a point to be sure of a place in the UEFA Cup Round of 32.

• Portsmouth were not in action on Matchday 2, having lost their opening group stage fixture 3-0 at SC Braga.

• Milan now have six points, following wins against SC Heerenveen and Braga, and need just one more point to be sure of a place in the Round of 32 as one of the top three sides in Group E.

• Six points should be enough to see Milan through regardless. Only once in the four-year history of the UEFA Cup group stage has a total of six points not been enough to qualify, with Rangers FC missing out in 2004/05.

• This is Portsmouth and Milan's first European meeting, hardly surprising as it is the English side's first campaign in UEFA club competition. The south coast club have never before played an Italian side in a competitive fixture.

• Portsmouth did compete in the 1992/93 and 1993/94 editions of the Anglo-Italian Cup, a non-UEFA affiliated competition which involved sides from the second tiers of the English and Italian leagues.

• Milan have already played 27 games against English sides, including the final of the 1972/73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (a 1-0 win against Leeds United AFC), the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final (a shoot-out defeat after a 3-3 draw against Liverpool FC) and the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League showpiece (a 2-1 win against Liverpool).

• They have won ten of their games against English sides, drawing nine and losing eight. Their away record against English sides is less impressive with just one win, four draws and defeats in the remaining seven games.

• That lone win in England, a 1-0 success against Manchester United FC at Old Trafford on 23 February 2005, came under Carlo Ancelotti. His eight games against English sides with Milan have ended in four wins, two draws – including the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool – and two defeats. Ancelotti's three matches in England have produced a win, a draw and a defeat.

• Ancelotti's Milan also emerged victorious on English soil in the 2003 UEFA Champions League final, defeating Juventus on penalties after a goalless draw at Old Trafford.

• Prior to taking over at Milan, Ancelotti coached Juventus and was in charge as they lost to United in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. His side drew 1-1 in the first leg in Manchester but lost 3-2 in Turin.

• This will be Portsmouth's first game in Europe since Harry Redknapp left the club to take over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur FC. His former assistant, and one-time England defender, Adams is the new man in charge and will need no introduction to Milan.

• Adams played against the Rossoneri as his Arsenal FC side lost 2-0 to the Italian giants the 1995 UEFA Super Cup, drawing 0-0 in London but going down 2-0 in Milan.

• In total, Adams featured in ten games against Italian clubs during his playing career, winning three, drawing four and losing three. Three of those wins, plus a draw and a defeat, came on English soil.

• Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu also knows plenty about Italian football, having played for FC Internazionale Milano between 1996 and joining Arsenal in 1999. He was a team-mate of Milan's Andrea Pirlo during his final season with the Serie A club.

• Several former Arsenal team-mates will also be on the pitch. Philippe Senderos is on loan at Milan where he plays alongside another Arsène Wenger protégé, Mathieu Flamini. The two played alongside Portsmouth's Sol Campbell, Armand Traoré and Lassana Diarra in north London.

• Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko may also have an unhappy reminder of his uninspiring spell with Chelsea FC, with former team-mate Glen Johnson now playing for Portsmouth.

• Portsmouth have won their only European home game to date, beating Vitória SC 2-0 in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Thus they are yet to lose a game or concede a European goal at Fratton Park.

• Milan, however, have not lost in their last five European away games, and have won all four of their UEFA Cup fixtures this season.

• Braga face VfL Wolfsburg in Matchday 3's other Group E tie. Heerenveen are the only side in the section not in action.