LOSC LILLE VS EVERTON – PREVIEW
Everton travel to northern France on Thursday to face LOSC Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Kick off is at 18:00.
The Toffees go into the game on the back of a tremendous 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the weekend. Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku and Seamus Coleman all scored to hand Everton a much-needed win. It was a fantastic match with goals and a clean sheet capped by a great performance. Key players like Ross Barkley, James McCarthy and Coleman returned and the win should be the first of many to come in the next few weeks. It will also provide confidence to everyone at the club as we look to continue our unbeaten run in the Europa League and cement our place at the top of Group H.
To continue that run we will need to get past Lille, who currently sit 8th in Ligue 1. They have won four times this season but have also drawn and lost three times in their other six games and prepare to face us on the back of two defeats and without a win in their last five European games. They aren’t playing particularly well and this is as good a time as any to face them. Defensively they have been very good picking up six clean sheets already this season after getting 21 in the last campaign, but attacking is a serious problem. They have only scored 8 times this season and are struggling due to a lack of a creative spark in midfield and a proven goal scorer up front. Salomon Kalou left in the summer meaning Divock Origi has had to step up as the main striker. He has managed to contribute four goals this season. Marcos Lopes, on loan from Manchester City, had been playing well in the no.10 role but has been ruled out for a period with injury.
Lille’s manager Rene Girard prioritises organisation and a tight defence unlike his predecessor Rudi Garcia who was all about attack. This can make them a little boring to watch at times but is a system that may work well against us if it can contain our free flowing football and quick attacking. There is a lack of stars in the team and they aren’t as exciting a team as they use to be.
Origi is one of the players who Everton will have to keep an eye on. The young Belgian is very fast and is a good finisher. He signed for Liverpool in the summer before being loaned back to Lille and could be fired up to score against his parent club’s rivals. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is the man behind all those Lille clean sheets and he could frustrate the Blues in the 3rd game of the group. The two centre backs Simon Kjaer and Marko Basa have forged an excellent partnership built on a mix of pace, intelligence and physicality. They will be at the heart of Lille’s compact set up and will be tough to break down. Girard likes to play in a 4-3-1-2 formation but due to a lack of an in form attacking midfielder who can link the midfield to the attack, expect them to line up in a 4-3-3. They will probably soak up pressure and then use the pace on the wings to counter attack to try and claim their first win in the group.
We have never played Lille and this is our first competitive game against a French side.
Lille will be without Lopes while numerous players including Rio Mavuba and Marvin Martin face late fitness tests before the game.
Kevin Mirallas, John Stones, Arouna Kone and Bryan Oviedo are out for the Blues. The latter two aren’t 100% match fit. Steven Naismith and Leon Osman haven’t travelled to France either; they are being rested. Barkley may not start after playing sixty minutes against Villa on his comeback from injury.
LOSC LILLE LIKELY LINE UP: Enyeama, Beria, Kjaer, Basa, Souare, Balmont, Gueye, Traore, Corchia, Rodelin, Origi (4-3-3)
EVERTON Actual: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Besic, Barry, McGeady, Barkley, Pienaar, Eto’o (4-2-3-1)
Everton are the only team to win in the group so far and forgetting what happens in the other game in the group, Lille shouldn’t be the team to change that. Everton have the confidence, Lille don’t, and the incredible number of Evertonians making the trip to France should witness our second win on the bounce.
PREDICTION: LOSC Lille 0-1 Everton.
Eoin Leeson.