LOSC v Everton background
Monday, October 6, 2014
Article summary
LOSC Lille will look to do to Everton FC what they did to Liverpool FC in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League as they welcome the Toffees in Group H.
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Article body
LOSC Lille will look to end a five-game wait for a European victory as an Everton FC side featuring a notable LOSC alumnus visit in UEFA Europa League Group H.
Form guide
• No team has scored more than once in any of LOSC's five previous home contests against English sides (W2 D2 L1); encouragingly, they beat their most recent Premier League visitors – Everton's neighbours Liverpool FC – 1-0 in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 16.
• LOSC are without a win in five European fixtures (D3 L2) since starting the campaign with a 2-0 away win against Grasshopper Club.
Trivia and links
• 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 FC 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 return leg of this fixture – on 6 November – will be LOSC's 100th UEFA club competition game. Their record in their first 98 has been W39 D31 L28.
The coaches
• 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.
• 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.
