Napoli need to get back to winning ways against Dynamo

SSC Napoli's struggles against Beşiktaş JK have complicated their advance towards the qualifiying positions in Group B and they will be looking for a maximum return at home to FC Dynamo Kyiv.

• Napoli will qualify with victory as long as SL Benfica also win away to Beşiktaş. Dynamo have to win to remain in contention for the top two places but only if Beşiktaş do not win. Anything less than victory and Dynamo will be certain of finishing fourth.

• On matchday one, their first ever competitive encounter, Arkadiusz Milik scored two first-half headers as last season's Serie A runners-up came from behind to win 2-1 in Ukraine. Denys Garmash had put the hosts ahead; Serhiy Sydorchuk was later sent off for two bookings.

Match background

Napoli
• The home game with Benfica on matchday two produced a superb attacking display by Maurizio Sarri's side, who led 4-0 by the 54th minute with Dries Mertens scoring twice at Stadio San Paolo. The visitors cut the deficit with two late goals.

• Qualification could have been sealed on matchday three – the earliest in UEFA Champions League history – but Beşiktaş ran out 3-2 winners in Naples and then threatened a repeat in the return only for Marek Hamšík's stunning equaliser to make it 1-1.

• That home defeat was the Partenopei's first in 19 European home games (W13 D5) since a 3-0 loss to FC Viktoria Plzeň in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• In 2013/14, Napoli's most recent UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, they won all three home matches – against Borussia Dortmund, Olympique de Marseille and Arsenal FC. Yet they failed to qualify for the knockout rounds despite collecting 12 points, more than any other side that has missed the qualification cut.

• In 2011/12, Napoli's first UEFA Champions League foray, they reached the round of 16 where they bowed out to Chelsea FC, a 3-1 home win overturned by a 4-1 extra-time loss in London.

Dynamo
• On matchday two, 18-year-old Viktor Tsygankov scored his first UEFA Champions League goal just three minutes into his second competition appearance to earn a 1-1 draw at Beşiktaş, Dynamo's sole point so far.

• In the double header with Benfica, Dynamo lost 2-0 at home and then 1-0 away. 

• Before last season the Kyiv club had won only four of their 31 previous group stage fixtures. An improved campaign helped them add another three wins to that total as they reached the last 16 for the first time since 1999/2000.

• Their current record stands at seven wins in 41 group stage fixtures.

• Last season they won at Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC and FC Porto in Group G. They went out to Manchester City FC in the round of 16, losing 3-1 at home and by the same aggregate score after a goalless second leg. It was the first time they had reached that stage since 1999/2000.

• Dynamo went out to ACF Fiorentina in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, drawing 1-1 at home before losing 2-0 away.

• They have won just twice in 21 encounters with Italian clubs (D6 L13), both victories coming against AS Roma in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage. The game in Rome was a 3-0 forfeit success as the match was abandoned after referee Anders Frisk was hit by an object thrown from the crowd. Dynamo won the return 2-0 in Ukraine.

Coach and player links
• Antunes was at Roma from 2007 to 2011 but made only five Serie A appearances, all in his first season, and had loan spells at US Lecce (2008/09) and AS Livorno Calcio (2010/11).

• Ivan Strinić played in Ukraine with Dnipro from 2011 to 2015 and was a team-mate of Olexandr Gladkiy in 2011/12.

• Júnior Moraes and Rafael were team-mates in the Santos youth system in Brazil.

• Domagoj Vida plays with Marko Rog and Strinić for Croatia.

Match facts

Napoli
• Napoli have won only three of their last nine matches.

• Hamšík has scored 103 goals for Napoli in all competitions. He is one shy of third-placed Edinson Cavani on the club's all-time list, which is led by Diego Maradona (115).

• Hamšík was among the scorers as Slovakia defeated Lithuania 4-0 in the European Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup qualifier on 11 November.

• Vlad Chiricheş and Piotr Zieliński were on opposing sides when Romania hosted Poland the same evening.

• Mertens was on target in each half in Belgium's 8-1 victory over Estonia two days later.

• Pepe Reina's appearance against England on 15 November was his first for Spain since 23 June 2014.

• Milik, scorer of seven goals for Napoli this season, faces several months out after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Poland against Denmark on 8 October.

Dynamo
• Garmash, Nikita Korzun and Vida are a booking away from a ban.

• Tsygankov, 19, made his full international debut as a substitute in Ukraine's 1-0 home victory over Finland on 12 November. Artem Besedin did likewise three days later during the 2-0 friendly win against Serbia, Andriy Yarmolenko one of the scorers.

• Danilo Silva has undergone surgery after sustaining a knee injury against PFC Olexandriya on 23 October and is expected to be out for at least six months.