Swansea target repeat Valencia success

Swansea City AFC will look to join Valencia CF in booking their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 when the top sides in Group A meet in Wales.

• Valencia are one of eight clubs who are sure of finishing in one of the top two places in their section after matchday four's results, and can confirm top spot if they win in Swansea.

Previous meetings
• Wilfried Bony (14), Michu (58) and Jonathan De Guzmán (62) found the target as Swansea beat Valencia 3-0 at Mestalla in their first encounter on matchday one. It was the Swans' first UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League away win, and their second most emphatic victory on their travels in UEFA club competition, after a 5-0 win at Maltese side Sliema Wanderers FC in the 1982/83 European Cup Winners' Cup.

• That matchday one game was Swansea's first official game against Spanish opposition.

• Valencia's record in 34 games against English league sides is W10 D15 L9 (W8 D5 L4 at home, W2 D9 L5 away). Those results include a 0-0 draw with Arsenal FC in Brussels in the 1979/80 European Cup Winners' Cup final, Valencia prevailing 5-4 on penalties.

• Swansea are based in Wales but qualified for the UEFA Europa League as winners of the English League Cup; the nine previous games between Welsh and Spanish clubs in UEFA club competition have ended W4 D3 L2 in the Spanish sides' favour. Prior to matchday one, the only Welsh victory was a 1-0 success for Swansea's local rivals Cardiff City FC against Real Madrid CF in the first leg of the 1970/71 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals; the Bluebirds lost the return fixture 2-0.

Match background
• Swansea remain unbeaten in Group A and have not lost a European home game this season (W3 D1). They have never played in the spring phase of a UEFA club competition.

• Prior to this season, Swansea had not played in Europe since the 1991/92 European Cup Winners' Cup, when they were beaten 10-1 on aggregate by AS Monaco FC in the first round. Back then, they qualified as Welsh Cup holders.

• Valencia are unbeaten in five European away games (W4 D1) since a 2-1 defeat at eventual champions FC Bayern München in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage. Their last away defeat in the UEFA Europa League also came against the side that would go on to win the trophy, 4-1 at Club Atlético de Madrid in the 2011/12 semi-finals.

• Valencia made it through to the knockout rounds in both of their previous group stage attempts in this competition – in 2008/09 and 2009/10. They have not had a European season that has been over by Christmas since 2007/08, when they finished bottom of their UEFA Champions League group.

Team facts
• The second goal Valencia conceded in their 3-2 win against FC St Gallen on matchday four was the 250th that has gone past them in their 251 UEFA competition games.

• Valencia had the most shots on target in the first four matchdays: 30 in total.

• Swansea winger Pablo Hernández is returning to the club he left in summer 2012; born in nearby Castellon de la Plana, he has spent much of his career with Valencia, scoring 15 goals in 112 top-flight appearances before moving to Swansea for what was reported as a club record fee.

• Swansea defender Chico played alongside Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves and forward Pablo Piatti at UD Almería (2008–10).

• Valencia defender Víctor Ruiz was a team-mate of Swansea's Jordi Amat (2009/10) and forward Álvaro Vázquez (2010) during his time at RCD Espanyol.

• Valencia midfielder Javi Fuego is up against two former Rayo Vallecano de Madrid colleagues: Swansea striker Michu (2011/12) and Jordi Amat (2012–13).

• Valencia's Colombian forward Dorlan Pabón rubbed shoulders with Swansea's Alejandro Pozuelo and José Cañas during a loan spell at Real Betis Balompié in spring 2013.

• Other Swansea players with substantial Spanish experience include Jonathan De Guzmán (RCD Mallorca and Villarreal CF), Roland Lamah (RCD Mallorca) and right-back Ángel Rangel, a Swans player since 2007 who featured in Spain's lower leagues and was born a couple of hours' drive up the coast from Valencia in Sant Carles de la Rapita. He was signed by another Spaniard, former Swansea midfielder and coach Roberto Martínez, now in charge of Everton FC.

• Current Valencia players who have featured in the league in England include Antonio Barragán (Liverpool FC), Oriol Romeu (Chelsea FC), Daniel Parejo (Queens Park Rangers FC) and Hélder Postiga (Tottenham Hotspur FC).

Coach information
• Michael Laudrup's first season in south Wales ended with Swansea winning the first major English trophy in their history – the 2012/13 League Cup. The playmaker's career haul included the 1991/92 European Champion Clubs' Cup with FC Barcelona and seven league titles: one apiece with Juventus, Real Madrid CF and AFC Ajax, and four with Barça. As a coach, he won a Danish title with Brøndby IF and took Getafe CF to the 2007/08 UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

• Serbian coach Miroslav Djukić returned in June 2013 to the club he served as a sweeper from 1997 to 2003; two UEFA Champions League finals and the 2001/02 title with Valencia represented the pinnacles of his long playing career in Spain. As a coach, he led FK Partizan and Serbia as well as Belgium's R. Excelsior Mouscron before returning to Spain to take charge of Hércules CF and then Real Valladolid CF.

• Djukić famously missed a penalty for RC Deportivo La Coruña in the last minute of their last game of the 1993/94 season against Valencia, handing the title to a Barcelona side that included Laudrup.