Lyon look to get back on track at Hapoel's expense

Olympique Lyonnais are through to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League yet again despite successive away defeats and the French side will look to build on their impressive home form as they conclude their Group B campaign against Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, who are still in contention for a UEFA Europa League berth.

• Lyon won their two previous home games without conceding a goal while Hapoel have lost their two away matches. The Israeli champions will be buoyed by their 3-0 defeat of SL Benfica on Matchday 5, however, their first win in the UEFA Champions League proper, and a second victory would secure third place should the Portuguese team fail to win at home to section leaders FC Schalke 04.

• Lyon are a point behind Schalke and need to beat Hapoel to have a chance of finishing first; even three points would not be enough if the German club prevail in Lisbon.

Previous meetings
• In the corresponding fixture in Israel, Michel Bastos' first-half double put Lyon on control. Hapoel got their first group stage goal when goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama scored from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time, but with virtually the last kick of the game Miralem Pjanić made it 3-1.

• This is Lyon's first home fixture against any team from Israel while Hapoel have visited France twice before, winning 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain FC in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage. Salim Toama struck twice inside the first six minutes while Walid Badier was also on the scoresheet. Gil Vermouth, Dani Bondarv and Shay Abutbul all featured.

• Hapoel's other visit to France ended in a 2-1 loss at Lyon's local rivals AS Saint-Étienne on 2 October 2008, completing a 4-2 aggregate defeat in the UEFA Cup first round.

Match background
• Lyon began their 11th successive UEFA Champions League campaign with a 1-0 home win against Schalke, following their success at Hapoel with a 2-0 defeat of Benfica. The wheels began to come off on Matchday 4, however, Lyon falling 4-0 behind in Lisbon and, although Claude Puel's side rallied to restrict Benfica to a 4-3 victory, more disappointment was in store three weeks later as they were beaten 3-0 at Schalke to slip to second in the standings.

• While Lyon have reached the knockout rounds for the eighth season in a row, they have not finished as group winners since 2006/07.

• In last term's UEFA Champions League, Les Gones recorded five wins and a draw – including the play-off round – at home before FC Bayern München got the better of them at Stade de Gerland in the semi-final second leg.

• Hapoel began their first group stage campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Benfica and after the home reverse against Lyon they suffered another 3-1 defeat, this time away to Schalke. They finally got off the mark with a goalless draw against Schalke on Matchday 4 which preceded that memorable win against Benfica.

• In last season's UEFA Europa League, the Israeli champions lost three of their four away games in the competition proper, conceding nine goals, although they did win 3-0 at SK Rapid Wien.

Team ties
• Hapoel's French midfielder Romain Rocchi had spells with AS Cannes, PSG, SC Bastia, AC Ajaccio and FC Metz before moving to Israel this summer.

• Jérémy Toulalan, Yoann Gourcuff and Hugo Lloris played for France against Nigeria in a friendly international in June 2009 in Saint-Etienne, Enyeama keeping a clean sheet as his team won 1-0.

• Anthony Réveillère won his first cap for France in a UEFA EURO 2004 qualifier against Israel at the Stade de France in October 2003. France won 3-0.

• In last season's UEFA Champions League Gourcuff helped FC Girondins de Bordeaux to a 1-0 home win against Maccabi Haifa FC in the group stage.

• Ben Sahar scored on his debut for Israel in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off first leg against France in October 2006, the game in Caen finishing 1-1. Jimmy Briand played for France while Lloris was an unused substitute. Sahar also played in Israel's 1-0 home win four days later.