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Fiorentina look for another home fillip

Having won on Matchdays 2 and 3 and defeated Liverpool FC in their last Group E home game, ACF Fiorentina will be full of confidence as Debreceni VSC arrive at the Stadio Artemio Franchi for their first match in Italy.

Fiorentina look for another home fillip
Fiorentina look for another home fillip ©UEFA.com

ACF Fiorentina are looking for a third successive Group E win when they welcome a Debreceni VSC team who make a first trip to Italy knowing they must avoid defeat to prolong their first UEFA Champions League campaign.

• Fiorentina's first experience of Hungarian opposition since 1966/67 was a positive one on Matchday 3, Adrian Mutu scoring twice as the Viola found the net four times in the first half in Budapest to run out 4-3 victors. The result leaves the Italian side with six points, three behind section leaders Olympique Lyonnais but three above Liverpool FC.

• Péter Czvitkovics scored Debrecen's first group-stage goal in the first game between the sides, yet the Hungarian champions have now lost all three Group E games and cannot afford another reverse at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Match background
• While Debrecen had never met Italian opposition prior to this season, Fiorentina have faced Hungarian teams twice before, both in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the 1960s.

• Fiorentina defeated Újpest FC both home and away in a 3-0 aggregate success in the 1961/62 semi-final – the first ever meeting between Italian and Hungarian teams in UEFA's club competitions. The holders failed to retain their trophy, however, losing to Club Atlético de Madrid in the final.

• The Viola then beat Györi ETO FC 1-0 in Florence in the first round of the same competition in 1966/67. That first-leg lead disappeared when they succumbed 4-2 in the return in the Hungarian capital.

• Fiorentina ended a five-game winless run at home in Europe with their 2-0 victory against Liverpool on Matchday 2.

• Qualifiers included, Debrecen have recorded two wins and two defeats so far on their travels in this season's competition.

• Hungarian sides have traditionally enjoyed little success in Italy down the years – recording two victories, four draws and 13 defeats on 19 previous visits.

Team ties
• Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli had his first taste of UEFA club competition against Hungarian opposition 30 years ago. As a 22-year-old with Juventus he made his European debut in a 2-0 home win against Györ in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round, appearing again in the 2-1 return loss in Hungary. It was the only time that Prandelli faced a team from Hungary during his playing career.

• Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetić scored twice for Montenegro in a 3-3 friendly draw with Hungary at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest on 20 August 2008. Debrecen's Zoltán Szélesi, László Bodnár and Gergely Rudolf all played for Hungary.

• Debrecen midfielder Tibor Dombi appeared as a substitute for Hungary in a 2-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw with Italy in Budapest in September 2000. Defender Bodnár featured in the return fixture in Parma in October 2001, which Italy won 1-0.

• Bodnár has also played against Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League before, featuring in the FC Dynamo Kyiv side defeated 2-1 at home by Juventus in the 2002/03 group stage. He was an unused substitute when Dynamo lost 5-0 at Juventus in that same campaign.