Slavia seek to spoil Genoa's return

Back in Europe 18 years after reaching the 1991/92 UEFA Cup semi-finals on their continental debut, Genoa CFC will look to prolong SK Slavia Praha's grim run on Italian soil in their opening game in UEFA Europa League Group B.

Previous meetings

• This is the first meeting between the two sides and Genoa have never faced a Czech club before. Slavia are playing in Italy for a sixth time, having lost in all five of their previous visits to Serie A opposition.

Match background

• Genoa have lost just twice in their 12 European games to date and only once at home, 3-2 against AFC Ajax in the 1991/92 UEFA Cup semi-finals – the end of a campaign which brought notable wins over former European champions FC Steaua Bucureşti and Liverpool FC.

• Slavia played in two UEFA Cup group stage campaigns, successfully reaching the round of 32 in 2005/06 but failing to progress from their section last season.

• The Czech champions have found away victories hard to come by in Europe in recent seasons. They have not won in their last ten games on the road since a 1-0 success at Ajax in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.

Team facts

• Czech striker Tomáš Skuhravý is remembered with fondness in Genoa as one of the stars of their remarkable 1991/92 UEFA Cup campaign. The former AC Sparta Praha player's haul of 58 Serie A goals remains a post-war record for the club.

• Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini is in his first season in European competition. The former Juventus trainee and youth-team coach joined the club in 2006 after earning his managerial spurs at FC Crotone, leading the Rossoblù to Serie A in his first campaign.

• Genoa striker Hernán Crespo has played in four UEFA Champions League games against Slavia's arch-rivals Sparta – two each with Parma FC and Chelsea FC. He did not score in any of them but nor did he finish on the losing side, recording a win and three draws.

• Slavia coach Karel Jarolím made his competitive debut for Czechoslovakia with a brief cameo in a 2-2 UEFA European Championship draw against Italy at San Siro in November 1982.

• Slavia defender Matej Krajčík played in Italy for Reggina Calcio in spring 2009, while Tunisian midfielder Tijani Belaid started his career as a trainee at FC Internazionale Milano.

• Slavia will welcome LOSC Lille Métropole to Prague on Matchday 2, while Genoa visit Valencia CF on the same night, 1 October.