Records on the line in Lille

LOSC Lille Métropole coach Rudi Garcia and his Valencia CF counterpart Unai Emery have unblemished European records to protect when they meet in the opening UEFA Europa League Group B game.

Previous meetings

• Lille are yet to lose in four home games against Spanish opposition, recording two wins and two draws.

• Valencia have not lost in their last six visits to France, recording three wins and three draws since losing 2-1 at FC Nantes Atlantique in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup on 9 April 1980.

Match background

• Lille have won all four of their games in Europe this season, with their last defeats in continental competition a pair of 1-0 losses against Manchester United FC in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League first knockout round.

• Valencia are unbeaten in their last 12 European matches, recording five wins and seven draws since suffering back-to-back 2-0 defeats by Rosenborg BK in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Los Ché have lost only one UEFA Cup away fixture since winning the competition in 2004, losing 2-0 at FC Steaua Bucureşti in the 2004/05 round of 32.

Team facts

• With regular Lille No1 Mickaël Landreau out with a long-term injury, Ludovic Butelle is expected to line up against his former club. Having joined Valencia from FC Metz in 2004, the 26-year-old played in nine Spanish Liga games for the Mestalla outfit but joined Les Dogues this summer after a successful season-long loan.

• The clubs share a famous old boy in former France right-back Jocelyn Angloma, who represented Lille from 1987-90 and later played for Valencia between 1997 and 2002. He was on the losing side with Valencia in the 2000 and 2001 UEFA Champions League finals.

• The current Valencia squad also boasts French talent in the form of left-back Jérémy Mathieu, who joined the club from Toulouse FC this summer.

• Lille captain Rio Antonio Mavuba played for Valencia's local rivals Villarreal CF in the 2007/08 season.

• Valencia have yet to lose a European game under coach Emery, who has recorded five wins and five draws since replacing Ronald Koeman in May 2008.

• Garcia, once a midfielder with the club, has recorded wins in all four of his European matches thus far as Lille coach. His father José was also a footballer and, as his surname suggests, he has Spanish ancestry.

• Lille visit SK Slavia Praha on Matchday 2, while Valencia are at home against Genoa CFC on the same night, 1 October.