Everton v Krasnodar background
Friday, November 28, 2014
Article summary
Everton FC and FC Krasnodar will both hope to give birthday treats to key team members as the sides meet in their final UEFA Europa League Group H encounter.
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Article body
Everton FC will look to sign off from UEFA Europa League Group H with another big home win as they welcome FC Krasnodar, who are already resigned to bowing out of the competition.
• Everton will finish top of the section regardless of their result on matchday six.
• Krasnodar could finish above LOSC Lille in third with a positive result in Liverpool.
Form guide
• Samuel Eto'o (82) struck to cancel out an Ari goal (43) as Everton held Krasnodar to a 1-1 draw in Russia on matchday two.
• Everton won their only previous home game against a Russian side, beating FC Zenit 1-0 in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.
• Everton have won their last three European home fixtures, including victories by three-goal margins in both of their previous Group H home ties. They are unbeaten in the section (W3 D2).
• Krasnodar are without a win in their last three European away contests (D1 L2).
Trivia and links
• Everton defender Leighton Baines and Krasnodar striker Ari both celebrate birthdays on the day of the game, with Baines turning 30 and Ari 29.
• Krasnodar's neighbours FC Kuban Krasnodar also made it to the UEFA Europa League group stage as European debutants last season. The finished third in their section with six points.
• Krasnodar are one of only four teams left in the competition who entered this season's UEFA Europa League in the second qualifying round, along with HNK Rijeka, FC Dinamo Minsk and Asteras Tripolis FC.
• Krasnodar's Marat Izmailov and Everton's Christian Atsu were briefly team-mates at FC Porto at the start of 2013.
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.
• Krasnodar coach Oleg Kononov was a journeyman player who established his reputation as a coach by helping FC Sheriff win three Moldovan league titles while serving as an assistant between 2005 and 2008. He steered FC Karpaty Lviv into the UEFA Europa League in 2010/11, and took charge at Krasnodar in 2013.
