PAOK v Fiorentina background

PAOK FC and ACF Fiorentina have both recorded landmark results in their opening UEFA Europa League Group K games but face a stern test in their matchday three meeting.

Form guide
• PAOK are unbeaten in 11 UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage home matches (W7 D4).

• Fiorentina recorded their biggest UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League away win on matchday two, a 3-0 success at FC Dinamo Minsk. PAOK beat Dinamo Minsk 6-1 on matchday one, Stefanos Athanasiadis scoring an 18-minute hat-trick. They were only the second side to score six goals in a UEFA Europa League game (group stage to final), FC Steaua Bucureşti having notched their sixth against Aalborg BK a matter of minutes before PAOK's sixth against Dinamo.

• Fiorentina, FC Internazionale Milano and Legia Warszawa are the only teams to have picked up six points without conceding a goal in this season's group stage. Fiorentina have the best goal difference so far: +6.

• Fiorentina and FC Salzburg both avoided defeat away from home for the sixth game in a row in the UEFA Europa League proper on matchday two – three matches short of PAOK's tournament record. The Italian club have yet to lose a UEFA Europa League fixture on their travels, winning four and drawing two.

Trivia and links
• PAOK's Alexandros Tziolis (AC Siena 2010-11), Dimitris Papadopoulos (US Lecce 2008-09) and Nikos Spyropoulos (AC Chievo Verona 2013) have all played in Italy.

• Tziolis and Fiorentina's Marko Marin were club-mates at SV Werder Bremen (2009-10).

• Fiorentina's Joaquín – not included in their UEFA Europa League squad – and PAOK's Hedwiges Maduro played together at Valencia CF (2008-11).

• PAOK's Marin and Fiorentina's Maduro were team-mates last season at Sevilla FC.

• PAOK goalkeeper Charles Itandje and Fiorentina's Alberto Aquilani were team-mates at Liverpool FC (2009-10).

• PAOK's Dimitris Salpingidis has made 71 UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League appearances (including qualifying) and is third in the competition's all-time standings behind Giuseppe Bergomi (96) and Frank Rost (90).

• Fiorentina's Marko Marin has started on the bench for the winning side in the last two UEFA Europa League finals, triumphing with Chelsea FC (2012/13) and while on loan at Sevilla FC (2013/14). However, he only played in the latter fixture.

The coaches
• Angelos Anastasiadis started out as a versatile midfielder at PAOK and began his third spell as the club's coach in May 2014. Capped 12 times by Greece, he also played for and coached Panathinaikos FC, and was in charge of Cyprus's national team from 2004 to 2011.

• Fiorentina coach since June 2012, Vincenzo Montella was known as L'Aeroplanino (the Little Aeroplane) because of his modest stature and trademark goal celebration during his time as a striker. He won the Serie A title and two Coppa Italias with AS Roma, whom he later coached along with Calcio Catania.