Preamble:
Hello, welcome and please leave your Champions League snootiness at the door. Because this is a proper European tie and we’ll brook no pettifoggery about that. Everton, the 1985 European Cup Winners Cup Winners Cup Winners Cup Winners Cup Winners, are rightly among the favourites to win the Europa League this season, and Lille have amassed decent continental pedigree themselves in recent years: indeed, tonight is their 100th European match since their first one just 13 years ago and in that period they have treated us to some fine feats, such as when they became the first French side to beat Milan at the San Siro in 2004. True, Lille have not exactly been in scorching form so far this season, drawing all three of their matches in the Europa League so far and finding goals difficult to come by both abroad and domestically, but they’re also hard to score against, not least because of the excellence of Vincent Enyeama, one of the best keepers around. And, erm, if that well-intentioned build-up makes it sound like we’re on course for another stalemate, then remember that Lille have Divock Origi, a player who doesn’t find the net as often as he should but tonight will be extra highly motivated by the prospect of scoring the first of many goals on Merseyside (ahead of hooking up with Liverpool next season, see). Besides, gritty 0-0s can lead to great things, as Everton’s class of ‘85 could tell you, having only just squeezed by a band of plucky Irish students on their way to their own chunk of glory.
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