Valencia welcome revitalised Genoa

Held to a 1-1 draw at LOSC Lille Métropole on Matchday 1, Valencia CF will look to get three points on the board when Genoa CFC – 2-0 winners against SK Slavia Praha last time out – visit the Mestalla.

Previous meetings 
• Genoa lost 1-0 to Real Oviedo on their only previous trip to Spain, while Valencia's ten home games against Serie A opponents have left them with the record W4 D2 L4. Valencia's defeats include 5-1 drubbings by both FC Internazionale Milano and SSC Napoli.

Match background 
• Valencia reached the round of 32 in their only UEFA Cup group stage campaign in 2008/09. This is Genoa's first stab at the group phase of a UEFA club competition.

• Valencia are unbeaten over 90 minutes in their last 13 UEFA club competition games since a 2-0 loss at home to Rosenborg BK in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage (06/11/07). Their six European home matches since that loss have produced two wins and four draws.

• Genoa are unbeaten away from home in Europe since that 1-0 loss at Oviedo in the 1991/92 UEFA Cup first round (19/09/91), with their subsequent five away trips yielding two victories and three draws.

Team facts 
• 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 debut campaign.

• A left-sided midfielder, Unai Emery started his career with Real Sociedad de Fútbol, but largely played in the lower divisions before a serious knee injury prompted a move from player to coach at Lorca Deportiva CF in 2004. He graduated to a position at UD Almería in 2006, with Valencia taking him on as a replacement for Ronald Koeman in 2008.

• Defender Emiliano Moretti joined Genoa from Valencia this summer. He scored four goals in 135 league games for the Spanish club between 2004 and 2009.

• Valencia striker Nikola Žigić, Genoa midfielder Boško Janković (who is not in the Rossoblù's UEFA Europa League squad list) and the Serie A club's young defender Nenad Tomović were team-mates at FK Crvena Zvezda, with all three featuring as 'Red Star' won a 2005/06 Serbian domestic double. Janković also played in Spain with RCD Mallorca in 2006/07.

• Genoa's Hernán Crespo and Valencia's Asier Del Horno also won a title together – the Premier League – at Chelsea FC in 2005/06. Crespo faced Valencia four times as an Inter player, with his record reading W1 D2 L1. His two games at the Mestalla ended in a draw and a defeat.

• Genoa boast Spanish talent in the form of Alberto Zapater, signed from Real Zaragoza for €4.5m in the summer. Valencia goalkeeper César Sánchez and striker David Villa were among his colleagues at La Romareda. Zapater scored the first goal of the UEFA Europa League group stage four minutes into last week's win against Slavia.

• Genoa's Ivan Jurić played at Sevilla FC between 1997 and 2000 where Valencia captain Carlos Marchena was among his team-mates.

• Genoa's Luciano Figueroa also played in Spain for Valencia's local rivals Villarreal CF (2005-06).

• Valencia host Slavia on Matchday 3, while Genoa visit Lille on the same night, 22 October.