Toumba Stadium will host an important encounter tonight for matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League group stage. The official website of PAOK, paokfc.gr, treats you to all the facts regarding PAOK’s clash with ACF Fiorentina:

#ACF Fiorentina are the fifth Italian side that PAOK will face in their European competitition’ history, having previously come up against AC Milan, SSC Napoli, Hellas Verona FC and Udinese Calcio. The head-to-head record against Italian sides is not favourable for the Thessaloniki outfit, as they have celebrated just one qualification -over Udinese Calcio in 2000.

#ACF Fiorentina have visited Greece once before, for their UEFA Europa League ties against AEK Athens back in 2007.

#PAOK sit on an 11-match undefeated streak at Toumba for the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stages. Their suffered their last home defeat by VfB Stuttgart in 2005. Since then, their group stage record reads: 7 wins & 4 draws.

#Several former club-mates will meet again tonight at Toumba. Alexandros Tziolis had played alongside Marko Marin at SV Werder Bremen. The latter also coincided with Hedwiges Maduro last season at Sevilla FC. As for PAOK goalkeeper Charles Itandje and ACF Fiorentina’s Alberto Aquilani, they were team-mates at Liverpool FC (2009-10).

#Dimitris Papadopoulos (US Lecce), Alexandros Tziolis (AC Siena) and Nikos Spyropoulos (AC Chievo Verona) have all played in Italy.

#ACF Fiorentina won the first ever edition of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. In the double-legged final of 1960-61, they prevailed over Rangers FC with an aggregate 4-1 score.