Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia will play their first Uefa Europa League match away at Villarreal, determined to get at least a point from the game.

Their task looks difficult considering that Levski's record away in Europe includes only one victory in the last ten away games and that was against Andorra's Sant Julia. Against Spanish sides, Levski has six away defeats with a goal difference of 1-18.

Even worse than Levski's away statistics is the fact that their opening match will be away against a side widely tipped by bookmakers as one of the tournament favourites.

For Villarreal, it will be their first match against a Bulgarian team. Unlike Levski, the "yellow submarine" heads into this game on the back of its biggest victory in Europe, a 6-1 trouncing of NAC Breda in the Uefa Europa League play-off second leg. Villarreal are unbeaten in ten home games in Europe, with Slovenia's Maribor in the 2006 Uefa Intertoto Cup the last visiting side to take all the points.

A defeat for Levski at the El Madrigal ground, should it be a heavy one, could be particularly demoralising for the Bulgarian side. By the same token, however, even a draw may help the reigning Bulgarian champions a lot in their bid to qualify for the later stages of the tournament.

Group G also includes Italian side Lazio and Red Bull Salzburg from Austria, two teams from which the Blues cannot expect any favours on their travels. Just like arch-rivals CSKA, Levski's best chances of progression concentrate on extracting nine points from their home encounters, and come what may away.

A mild consolation for the visitors is that Villarreal's skipper and Spain international Marcos Sena will be sidelined with an injury, but that appears to be the only notable exclusion from a side likely to include Giussepe Rossi, Santi Cazorla, Nilmar and Ariel Ibagaza.

Private broadcaster Pro.bg will show the match live from 10.05pm.