Napoli seek Swansea resolution

SSC Napoli held on for a 0-0 draw at Swansea City AFC in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie, and have everything to play for as the tie concludes in Naples.

Previous meetings
• The sides met for the first time in Europe in the first leg in what was Swansea's first encounter with Italian opponents.

• Napoli's nine games against English league teams have ended W3 D3 L3 (W3 D1 L0 in Naples). They played Arsenal FC in this season's UEFA Champions League group stage, losing 2-0 in London but winning by the same scoreline at home on matchday six.

• Napoli have faced Welsh opponents before, though it took a 2-1 victory in a replay at Arsenal's old Highbury stadium for them to get the better of Bangor City FC in the 1962/63 European Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round; they had lost 2-0 in Bangor before recovering with a 3-1 success in Naples.

Match background
• Napoli are looking to make it through the round of 32 for the first time since the advent of the UEFA Cup group stage; they lost out to Villarreal CF in 2011/12 and then FC Viktoria Plzeň in 2012/13.

• Napoli bowed out of the UEFA Champions League despite picking up 12 points in Group F – the highest total of all the third-placed finishers this season. They have won all three of their European home games this season.

• Swansea are in the spring phase of UEFA competition for the first time; prior to this season, they had not played in Europe since the 1991/92 European Cup Winners' Cup, when they were beaten 10-1 on aggregate by AS Monaco FC in the first round. Back then, they qualified as Welsh Cup holders.

• This is also the Swans' longest continental campaign to date; this is their 12th UEFA game of the season, with their longest previous stint lasting six matches as they reached the second round of the 1982/83 European Cup Winners' Cup.

• Having started the group stage with back-to-back victories, Swansea are now without a win in five European games – D3 L2.

Team facts
• Napoli coach Rafael Benítez signed Swansea striker David Ngog for Liverpool FC in 2008.

• Chico played in Italy with Genoa CFC from 2010 to 2012.

• Raúl Albiol and Pablo Hernández were team-mates at Valencia CF from 2004–07 and then again from 2008/09.

• Blerim Dzemaili played in England for Bolton Wanderers FC from 2007 to 2008.

• Pepe Reina was at Liverpool between 2005 and 2013; Jonjo Shelvey was one of his team-mates. Reina has made 138 UEFA club competition appearances, more than any other player in the round of 32.

• Valon Behrami was at West Ham United FC from 2008 to 2011.

• Shelvey celebrates his 22nd birthday on the day of the game.

• Ukraine and Italy are the most represented nations in the round of 32 with four teams each.

• Napoli are one of nine former UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League winners in the round of 32, along with Tottenham Hotspur FC (1972, 1984), Sevilla FC (2006, 2007), Eintracht Frankfurt (1980), Valencia CF (2004), FC Shakhtar Donetsk (2009), AFC Ajax (1992), FC Porto (2003, 2011) and final hosts Juventus (1977, 1990, 1993).

Coach information
• Napoli coach Rafael Benítez is well-known in England for leading Liverpool to 2004/05 UEFA Champions League glory, and then taking last season's UEFA Europa League crown at Chelsea. Having amounted to little as a player, Benítez first made his mark at Valencia, winning two Spanish titles and the 2003/04 UEFA Cup.

• Benítez is one of five coaches in the round of 32 to have led a side to victory in this competition before. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk's Juande Ramos (Sevilla FC, 2006 & 2007), PAOK FC's Huub Stevens, who won it as a player (PSV Eindhoven, 1978) and coach (FC Schalke 04, 1997), AZ Alkmaar's Dick Advocaat (FC Zenit, 2008) and FC Shakhtar Donetsk's Mircea Lucescu (Shakhtar 2009) are the others.

• Should he steer Napoli to UEFA Europa League success, Benítez would be the third coach to win the competition in successive seasons, following in the footsteps of Luis Molowny (Real Madrid CF 1985 and 1986) and Ramos (Sevilla 2006 and 2007). He would also match Giovanni Trapattoni's record of three triumphs in the competition, and become the first coach to win the trophy with three clubs.

• Benítez met Swansea three times last season: Swansea eliminated Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals, prevailing 2-0 away and drawing 0-0 at home, but the Blues were 2-0 home winners in Benítez's only league encounter.

• Swansea announced on 4 February that they had parted company with Danish coach Michael Laudrup, who last season led the south Wales club to the first major English trophy in their history – the League Cup.

• Laudrup has been replaced "for the forseeable future" by first-time coach Garry Monk, who oversaw a 3-0 win against local rivals Cardiff City FC in his first game in charge. Still registered as a defender with the club, the Englishman joined the Swans in 2004 after spells with Southampton FC and Barnsley FC among others, helping them make their way from the third tier to the Premier League.

Shoot-out record
• Napoli's record in three UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W1 L2:
lost 5-3 (away) v FC Spartak Moskva, 1990/91 European Champion Clubs' Cup second round
won 4-3 (home) v Sporting Clube de Portugal, 1989/90 UEFA Cup first round
lost 4-3 (away) v Toulouse FC, 1986/87 UEFA Cup first round

• Swansea have yet to feature in a UEFA shoot-out.

Round of 16
• The winners of this tie will take on the victors between FC Porto and Eintracht in the round of 16, playing the second leg at home.

• Napoli have met both teams; they won 1-0 home and away against Porto in the 1974/75 UEFA Cup second round and lost 1-0 in both legs to Eintracht in the third round of the 1994/95 UEFA Cup.

• Swansea have never encountered either side in UEFA competition.