Napoli v Slovan Bratislava background

SSC Napoli are already sure of their place in the round of 32 as they take on an ŠK Slovan Bratislava side eager to avoid finishing point-less in UEFA Europa League Group I.

• Napoli are already through as there is no combination of results that will allow both AC Sparta Praha and BSC Young Boys to finish above them. A win would guarantee them first place.

• Slovan are already confirmed as the bottom side in Group I.

Form guide
• Marek Hamšík scored one and set up the other for substitute Gonzalo Higuaín as Napoli beat Slovan 2-0 in Bratislava on matchday two.

• Slovan prevailed 1-0 at Torino FC en route to winning the 1968/69 European Cup Winners' Cup – the only major UEFA trophy won by a Slovakian side – but have not triumphed in three subsequent visits to Italy (D1 L2).

• Napoli are unbeaten in eight European home games (W6 D2); Slovan have not won (D1 L3) or scored in their last four continental away fixtures, conceding 12 without reply.

• Slovan and FC Metalist Kharkiv are both looking to avoid sixth consecutive group stage defeats on matchday six.

• Slovan have conceded the most goals in this season's group stage – 17 so far – and have the worst goal difference: -16.

Trivia and links
• Napoli forward Higuaín turns 27 on the eve of the Slovan game.

• Hamšík started his career with Slovan, leaving the club at the age of 17 to join Brescia Calcio before moving on to his current side in 2007.

• Slovan midfielder Richard Lásik has played in Italy with Brescia, scoring one goal in 43 Serie B games between 2012 and 2014.

• Slovan's Róbert Vittek struck a goal in each half against an Italy side featuring Napoli's Christian Maggio as Slovakia eliminated the Azzurri with a 3-2 defeat in the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals group stage.

• Seven Slovan players featured in Czechoslovakia's victorious 1976 UEFA European Championship squad.

• Slovan's only previous group stage campaign was in 2011/12, when they picked up just one point from six games.

The coaches
• Napoli coach since May 2013, Rafael Benítez won two Spanish titles and the 2003/04 UEFA Cup with Valencia CF, the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League with Liverpool FC and the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League with Chelsea FC. The Spaniard lifted the Coppa Italia in his first Napoli campaign.

• Slovan's František Straka became the first coaching casualty of the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League when he was dismissed on 6 October, the Slovakian champions having won only once in their previous ten games.

• Slovan's new coach is Jozef Chovanec. The former Czechoslovakia defender played over 300 games in three spells at AC Sparta Praha, representing PSV Eindhoven during a stint abroad as well. Chovanec has also coached Sparta on four separate occasions, and led the Czech national team from 1998 to 2001.