Genoa and Valencia set for decider

Genoa CFC will make it to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 with a win on Matchday 6, while defeat could spell the end of the road for current Group B leaders Valencia CF.

• Genoa need a better result than LOSC Lille Métropole can muster at home to SK Slavia Praha to be certain of qualifying. If Genoa and Valencia draw, while Lille win, the Spanish side will top the section on head-to-head with Lille qualifying as runners-up.

Previous meetings
• Valencia won 3-2 at the Mestalla as the sides met for the first time on Matchday 2. Genoa beat Real Oviedo 3-1 in their only previous home game against Spanish opponents. Valencia's ten previous fixtures in Italy have ended W1 D3 L6; their only victory was a 1-0 triumph at AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League second group stage on 18 February 2003.

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.

• Yet to taste defeat at home in Europe this season, Genoa have won all but one of their eight UEFA club competition games at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, losing 3-2 to AFC Ajax in a UEFA Cup semi-final on 1 April 1992.

• Unbeaten in 17 European fixtures since a 2-0 home reverse against Rosenborg BK on 6 November 2007, including all 15 of their games under Unai Emery, Valencia have lost only one of their last 13 European away matches – 2-0 at Rosenborg on 24 October 2007.

Team facts
• Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini is currently enjoying 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.

• Formerly a left-sided midfielder, Valencia coach 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.

• 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 his side's Matchday 1 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).