H. Beer-Sheva v Internazionale background

New Internazionale coach Stefano Pioli must hit the ground running at Hapoel Beer-Sheva if his side are to have any hope of making it through to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• Hapoel have to at least match Southampton's result to have any chance of qualifying for the round of 32; Inter need to win or they cannot qualify.

• Sparta are through with a victory or a draw; Southampton progress with a win if Hapoel do not beat Inter.

Previous meetings
• Miguel Vítor and Maor Buzaglo scored as Hapoel inflicted a shock 2-0 defeat on Inter at San Siro on matchday one; it was the clubs' first meeting, and both teams' maiden competitive fixture against a side from their opponents' home country.

• In 13 UEFA competition fixtures between Italian and Israeli clubs, the Serie A representatives have posted six wins, three draws and four defeats; Hapoel's victory ended a seven-game unbeaten run (W5 D2) for Italian teams against Israeli counterparts.

Form guide
• Hapoel have not scored in three Group K matches since that success in Milan (D1 L2) and have yet to register a group stage goal at the Turner Stadium, where their record this season (including UEFA Champions League qualifying) is W3 D1 L1.

• Inter have not won in six European away fixtures – three draws followed by three defeats.

• The Israeli side are making their UEFA group stage debut this term, having fallen to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

• UEFA Cup winners in 1991, 1994 and 1998, Inter have successfully negotiated both of their previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Milan to Beer Sheva is around 2,700km.

• Inter have played more UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League games than any other club, 179, and have also won (88) and drawn (43) the most matches in the competitions.

The coaches
• Beer-Sheva boss Barak Bakhar steered the club to their first Israeli championship in 2015/16, his first season in charge. He previously landed the 2013/14 Israeli Cup at the helm of Kiryat Shmona, where he had spent the bulk of his playing career as a defender.

• Stefano Pioli was appointed by Inter on 8 November following the dismissal of Frank de Boer. A centre-back, he helped Fiorentina reach the 1989/90 UEFA Cup final as a player and steered Parma through the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage as a coach, as well as taking Lazio all the way to last season's round of 16.