Lyon v AZ background

The odds are stacked against AZ Alkmaar as they approach the second leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie 4-1 down to Olympique Lyonnais.

• Alexandre Lacazette scored in each half in the Netherlands on 16 February, helping Lyon establish a commanding advantage over their Eredivisie opponents.

Previous meetings
• The clubs met for the first time in the opening leg of this tie. The 4-1 loss was AZ's first defeat in four games against French sides (W2 D1 L1).

• Lyon's record in 11 matches against Dutch teams is W5 D4 L2 (W2 D2 L1 in France).

Form guide
• Lyon have not lost in their last four UEFA matches (W2 D2).

• Lyon have yet to participate in a major UEFA final but were UEFA Champions League semi-finalists as recently as 2009/10 and reached the last four in the 1963/64 European Cup Winners' Cup.

• Losing UEFA Cup finalists in 1981, AZ are playing in the spring phase of a UEFA competition for the first time since reaching the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

Links and trivia
• The journey from Alkmaar to Lyon is around 750km, due south.

Lucas Tousart set Lyon on their way to victory in Alkmaar©AFP/Getty Images

• This game is taking place the day after AZ midfielder Muamer Tankovic's 22nd birthday.

• AZ's Ron Vlaar faced Lyon right-back Rafael three times (with Manchester United) and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa once (with Newcastle), ending up on the losing side in all four games.

• Lyon's women's team are the reigning European champions.

The coaches
• AZ coach John van den Brom spent the bulk of his playing career as a midfielder with Vitesse and was capped twice by the Netherlands. As a coach, he landed the Belgian title with Anderlecht in 2013, taking command in Alkmaar in 2014.

• Bruno Génésio took charge at Lyon in December 2015, but his links to the club go back much further. A local boy, he joined OL as a trainee in 1983 and represented Lyon as a midfielder from 1985–95. He later worked as a scout and was assistant coach from 2011–15.

Penalty shoot-outs
• Lyon have lost both of their previous UEFA penalty shoot-outs:
L 4-2 A v PSV (2004/05 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals)
L 4-3 A v APOEL (2011/12 UEFA Champions League round of 16)

• AZ lost their only previous UEFA penalty shoot-out:
L 5-4 A v Barcelona (1977/78 UEFA Cup second round)