Everton v LOSC background
Friday, October 24, 2014
Article summary
Everton FC welcome LOSC Lille for what will be the French side's 100th UEFA game as the Toffees seek to make it a night to forget for René Girard men in Group H.
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Everton FC will look to match Liverpool FC's home result against LOSC Lille as the French side make their 100th UEFA club competition appearance in Group H on matchday four.
Form guide
• LOSC lost 3-0 at Liverpool on their last UEFA club competition visit to England in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 16. They have not scored in four of their five games in England, the exception being a 2-0 UEFA Intertoto Cup win at Aston Villa FC in 2002.
• Everton struck four goals in their opening group stage home fixture this season, as they did in their previous appearance in 2009/10. On that occasion, they lost both of their remaining group stage home games without scoring.
• LOSC are without a win in six European fixtures (D4 L2) since starting the campaign with a 2-0 success at Grasshopper Club in UEFA Champions League qualifying.
Trivia and links
• This will be LOSC's 100th UEFA club competition game. Their record in the first 99 reads W39 D32 L28.
• Everton midfielder Kevin Mirallas started his professional career with LOSC (2004-08), and also played in Ligue 1 with AS Saint-Étienne.
• LOSC's Belgian forward Divock Origi is technically a Liverpool player; he returned to LOSC on loan after joining the club in a €10m move this summer.
• LOSC's Marcos Lopes is on loan from another Premier League club, Manchester City FC, while their Czech defender David Rozehnal played in England with Newcastle United FC (2007-08).
• The Toffees also boast French talent in the form of defender Sylvain Distin, who – like Rozehnal – is a former Paris Saint-Germain player.
• Everton's Samuel Eto'o has scored 48 UEFA club competition goals – more than any other player in this season's group stage.
The coaches
• Everton's attack-minded Spanish manager Roberto Martínez was a fine midfielder in the English lower leagues with the likes of Wigan Athletic FC and Swansea City AFC, and coached both clubs with great success, notably winning the 2012/13 FA Cup with the Latics before taking charge of Everton in June 2013.
• As a midfielder, LOSC coach René Girard won three titles and two French Cups with FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1980s. After a long spell coaching national age-group teams, he won Ligue 1 as Montpellier Hérault SC boss in 2011/12, moving to Lille in July 2013.
