Top meets bottom at Mestalla

Valencia CF prevailed the last time they met SK Slavia Praha, with the odds seemingly stacked in the Spanish side's favour as the Czech champions return to the Mestalla in UEFA Europa League Group B.

Previous meetings
• The two sides met in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup, with Gabriel Moya scoring the only goal of the first leg in Prague for Luis Aragonés's Valencia. Slavia, coached by František Cipro, could not score in the return despite the dismissal of Valencia goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta four minutes into the second half.

• The teams for their previous meeting at Mestalla, that goalless draw on 29 September 1996, were:-
Valencia: Zubizarreta, Otero, Poyatos, Mendieta, Moya (Iñaki, 72), Patxi Ferreira, Claudio López (Bartual, 49), Karpin, Vlaović (Gálvez, 80), Enrique Romero, Engonga.
Slavia: Stejskal, Lerch, Kozel, Kubík, Novotný (Šmejkal, 80), Pěnička (Jindráček, 60), Vágner, Vávra, Ulich (Vácha, 67), Ašanin, Horváth.

• Valencia have never lost in six games against Czech sides. Their previous results comprise two 0-0 draws and four 1-0 wins – two of the latter at Mestalla.

Match background
• Valencia are unbeaten over 90 minutes in their last 14 UEFA club competition games since a 2-0 loss at home to Rosenborg BK in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 6 November 2007. They are yet to taste defeat in 12 European outings under Unai Emery.

• Slavia have won only one of their last 21 European fixtures – a 3-0 home victory over FK Crvena Zvezda in this season's UEFA Europa League play-offs – with ten reverses and ten draws in the remaining games.

• Slavia have not won in eleven away matches in Europe since a 1-0 victory at AFC Ajax in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round on 15 August 2007.

Team facts
• Slavia's 5-1 loss against LOSC Lille Métropole on Matchday 2 was their heaviest home defeat in UEFA club competition.

• Formerly 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 into coaching 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.

• Karel Jarolím is in his second spell as Slavia coach, having represented the club three times as a player. His two sons also started their playing careers there, with David Jarolím the current captain at Hamburger SV while Lukáš Jarolím is now in Italy with AC Siena.

• Slavia's Vladimír Šmicer came on as a substitute against Valencia for Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League on 30 October 2002, with his side on their way to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield.

• Should Slavia score twice on Matchday 3, it would bring the total of goals conceded by Valencia in UEFA club competition to 200 from 208 games.

• Striker David Villa and midfielder Joaquín are unlikely to appear against Slavia after being sidelined with thigh complaints.

• The two sides meet again in Prague on 5 November for Matchday 4.