On-song Valencia await Danish visitors

Unai Emery's Valencia CF will look to replicate their excellent start to the domestic season in Spain as they take on FC København in their first UEFA Cup group-stage game.

• This is Valencia and København's first meeting in UEFA club competition in their current guises.

• Valencia did come up against B1903 København, who merged with Kjøbenhavns BK to become FC København in 1992. In what remains the Spanish side's only previous tie against Danish opposition, they won 4-0 at home against B1903 in a 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round tie and drew 2-2 away.

• Argentinian star Mario Kempes scored twice for Valencia in that 4-0 win.

• København have played five games against Spanish sides in Europe, drawing two and losing three. Their only previous games in Spain ended in a draw and a defeat. They met Club Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Cup group stage last season, losing 2-0 at home in what was Ståle Solbakken's first game against a Spanish team since his move into coaching.

• Solbakken's only two matches against Spanish opposition from his days as a midfielder came within the space of three months. He came on as a 17th-minute substitute in Norway's 1-0 friendly defeat against Spain in February 1996 and then played the full match in another international friendly against the same opponents in April that year. That second game finished goalless.

• The Danish side have lost just once in their last six UEFA club competition away games.

• Valencia, by contrast, have won just two of their last seven European home fixtures.

• København midfielder Mads Laudrup is unlikely to play, but should know Spain well. The 19-year-old was born in Italy while his father, Danish star Michael Laudrup, was playing for Juventus but moved on to Spain where Laudrup Sr enjoyed the finest years of his career with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF from 1989 to 1996.

• Michael Laudrup is now coach of FC Spartak Moskva, who are also playing in the UEFA Cup group stage. He was coach at Spanish side Getafe CF last season, where Valencia's Pablo Hernández played under him prior to his return to the Mestalla this summer.

• Valencia have three players within a caution of a one-match suspension: David Albelda, Iván Helguera and David Villa.

• København's William Kvist is a booking away from a one-match ban.

• Valencia are playing their first UEFA Cup group-stage game of the season. København had a disappointing opening night, losing 3-1 at home against AS Saint-Etienne, Cesar Santin scoring their only goal from the penalty spot after Morten Nordstrand had missed a fifth-minute spot-kick.

• St-Etienne are at home against Rosenborg BK in Matchday 2's other Group G game. Club Brugge KV are the only team in the section not in action on Thursday.