Ajax reunion as Nürnberg face Everton

Three former AFC Ajax team-mates could meet again on the pitch as 1. FC Nürnberg kick off their Group A campaign at home against Everton FC.

• Nürnberg are playing their first group stage game of the season while Everton won their opener against Larissa FC 3-1 on Matchday 1.

• The two sides have never faced off in UEFA club competition.

• They did meet in the first round of the 1965/66 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor of the UEFA Cup. Everton earned a 1-1 draw in the first leg in West Germany and then prevailed 1-0 at home to progress.

• Nürnberg have never encountered English opponents in UEFA competition.

• Everton have played four UEFA competition matches against German teams.

• They drew 1-1 home and away against VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1970/71 European Champion Clubs' Cup second round, winning the tie on penalties. It was that tournament's first-ever shoot-out.

• They tackled FC Bayern München in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals, drawing 0-0 in Munich and triumphing 3-1 at home to advance to the final, where they beat SK Rapid Wien 3-1 in Rotterdam.

• Thus they have never lost against a Bundesliga side and have drawn both of their previous ties on German soil.

• Nürnberg's Tunisia midfielder Jawhar Mnari celebrates his 31st birthday on the day of the match.

• There will be an Australian accent to proceedings, with Everton's Sydney-born Tim Cahill lining up against compatriots Michael Beauchamp, Matthew Spiranovic, Dario Vidosic and Joshua Kennedy.

• Everton reserve goalkeeper Stefan Wessels played alongside Nürnberg's Bosnia-Herzegovnian international forward, Zvjezdan Misimović, in the FC Bayern München senior and reserve teams between 2000 and 2003.

• Everton's South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar – on loan from BV Borussia Dortmund – was a colleague of Nürnberg's Greece striker Angelos Charisteas and Czech Republic midfielder Tomáš Galásek at Ajax.

• Nürnberg have not won a European home game since overcoming Club Atlético de Madrid 2-1 in the 1962/63 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals. They have played only three European home matches since, drawing two and losing one.

• Larissa are at home to FC Zenit St. Petersburg in the day's other Group A tie.