Everton will take that point. It keeps them top of their group on five points, with Wolfsburg in second place with four points after they beat Krasnodar 4-2 earlier. Thanks for reading. Bye.
Full-time: Lille 0-0 Everton
A brilliant performance from James McCarthy.
90 min+2: Ross Barkley off, James McCarthy on.
90 min+1: No.
90 min: Origi wins a corner off Hibbert on the left. Can Lille do anything with it? “I went the same way as JR in Illinois (Wikipedia) and felt a wave of anxiety and sadness that since I’ve spent the last twenty years in North America, I’ve lost touch culturally with my country of birth,” says John Willoug. “Then I had a massive flood of relief and happiness on the same subject.”
89 min: Mendes bursts through the middle, beating a couple of Everton defenders, and then messes up an easy pass to Martin. The chance is gone and Everton counter. Besic finds Eto’o on the left and he cuts inside before sending a curler not too far wide of the far post.
86 min: Lille make a change, Mavuba replaced by Marvin “The Martian” Martin.
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85 min: “Up until this very minute i had never heard of S Club 7,” says JR in Illinois. “I am thinking I have not been missing anything and don’t want to chance being proven wrong so I will absolutely not click on the video you provided. I did give them a quick lookup on Wikipedia. I’m going to go ahead and assume that Paul Cattermole is Lee’s brother.”
82 min: Christian Atsu on, Aiden McGeady off, thus meaning I can issue my daily reminder that Chelsea own Christian Atsu.
81 min: Eto’o ... Besic ... Hibbert ... Hibbert ... in the Lille area ... in space ... Hibbert ... Hibbert ... HIBBERT ... GOAL? No.
79 min: The Lille fans are passing the time by singing the French national anthem. It’s one of the best. But not as good as Italy’s, to be fair.
78 min: Watching corners get headed away by the man at the near post never fails to lift my spirits.
75 min: Simon Kjaer blasts his effort straight into the wall. And that’s the end of that.
74 min: A twist, a turn, a shimmy from Gueye, and a trip by Besic, already on a booking, gives Lille a free-kick in a dangerous position.
73 min: Ryan Mendes replaces Rodelin for Lille.
71 min: Howard wins yet another battle with Origi. It’s like the World Cup never ended. Origi was released by a sharp pass from Balmont but Howard was alert to the danger, speeding off his line to smother just in time. Moments later, Balmont tries a volley from 30 yards; straight at Howard.
68 min: “Once again, Hibbert’s made a dart forward” must be the most joyful sentence ever to be uttered.
65 min: Barkley’s shot from the left is deflected a few yards over. Corner. Everton have livened up all of a sudden.
64 min: Everton make their first change. Romelu Lukaku replaces Steven Pienaar - and Lukaku almost makes an instant impact! He runs on to a loose ball, capitalising on some indecision, and rolls a pass through to the onrushing McGeady but his scuff is half-saved by Eneyama and Souare completes the clearance.
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62 min: “Half the uncertainty from the Lille corners stems from Everton having all eleven players in the penalty area,” says Duncan Smith. “Only McGeady is even close to the edge of the box. There’s not only no out ball, but the Everton players are getting in each others way. Bizarre tactical decision.”
60 min: “Am I the only Liverpool-supporting MBMer who, while following the match while ‘working’, thinks that Origi might suit our presently striker-free club?” says Lou Roper. “Oh. I suppose Brentan--sorry, Brendan--knows best, though?’ I thought it was part of the agreement that Origi had to go back to Lille on loan.
58 min: So, after all that, a corner to Lille on the right, which almost results in a chance for the home side. A low ball was helped into the six-yard box and it seemed like Everton were about to crack but fortunately for them, Barkley managed to hack clear.
57 min: Pienaar and Beria are both booked after some nonsense. Beria twice appealed for handball against Baines after he blocked crosses with his arms raised, but had to settle for a corner instead. It didn’t look like handball in either case but the replays didn’t tell us much. That didn’t stop Beria appealing, much to the annoyance of Pienaar, causing the two to engage in lively debate. In the end, a booking for the pair of them. They are, unless I’m much mistaken, grown adults.
56 min: Eto’o takes it, not Baines, but although his low bouncer beats the wall, it’s a tame effort, straight at Enyeama.
54 min: Everton make their way up the other end and Barkley is fouled on the edge of the area by Balmont. It’s made for a right-footer but Baines might fancy it. “I liked the one with the hat,” announces Tim Jones.
53 min (the football version): Lille threaten again and of course it’s Origi who’s threatening. He turns effortlessly away from his marker and then whistles a drive not too far over the bar from 20 yards. Howard didn’t seem too concerned.
53 min: Who was your favourite member of S Club 7?
50 min: Mavuba slides a good pass down the left to Origi, who tries to sprint away from Jagielka, who does just about enough to concede a corner. Credit to Jagielka for not letting the very quick Origi to race away from him. The corner is headed away.
48 min: Nothing has happened yet. Everton have not been good on the ball.
46 min: Off we go again. Here’s hoping for better in this second half. We begin with Origi fouling Distin.
Half-time: Lille 0-0 Everton
That first half happened.
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45 min: Balmont shoots from the edge of the area but it’s straight at Howard.
44 min: “Thank god I didn’t pull a sickie and head home to watch this one,” says Chris Lawlor. “Had a feeling it would have been a wasted freebie.” You’ve not missed much.
42 min: Barkley tries his luck with a free-kick from 30 yards. Over it goes.
40 min: Gueye has a shot from the edge of the area. The ball will reach Howard in a few minutes.
39 min: Rodelin has a dig from 30 yards. Howard deals with the bounce and holds it comfortably.
37 min: “The Zlatan abbreviation was for that sole purpose and most likely the first instance of it’s use by me,” says Elliot Carr-Barnsley. “Pure bants. As for Saviola, I indeed own a barca shirt emblazoned with his name and number, largely down to him being a fine Championship Manager youngster. If any readers are keen on securing this prized piece of memorabilia, so close to my heart as it is, it has been on ebay for the last few days and will conclude in 26 hours (also featured is a Harchester United shirt).”
That’s the reason I have a room dedicated to Everton legend Ibrahim Bakayoko in my house.
35 min: “What do you make of Everton’s sponsor-free shirt this evening?” says David Wall. “I don’t mean this in a value-laden sense, harking after old fashioned, less commercial times and that hackneyed line. But it does look quite odd and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s simply because it’s so unusual these days but I think it might be that it just doesn’t suit modern shirts to be unadorned. The Everton one isn’t such an extreme example but with some of the really figure-hugging strips if they were plain it would look like body-paint. And you know it’d only be a short while before some designer played with that idea by including nipples in the shirt design (after all, we’ve had bow ties and broccoli before now). If it’s that or sponsors on shirts then I’m fully in favour of clubs taking the money.”
I haven’t given it too much though but I think there is a case for every team’s shirts to just say BANTER on the front.
33 min: McGeady has Everton’s first shot after neat play from Tony Hibbert. Yes, Tony Hibbert. Yes, that Tony Hibbert. But it’s all for nothing, for McGeady’s shot is drilled straight at Enyeama.
30 min: Sorry, I meant to say that it is very tactical and intriguing. I almost forgot myself there.
29 min: This is an odd match. Sometimes Lille threaten brilliance, especially when Origi gets motoring, but mostly it is a bit of a scrappy mess.
25 min: A let-off for Everton, who could do with sharpening up when they have the ball. This time Barkley was guilty of dawdling in possession after a cross has been cleared and Balmont seized on his sluggishness. The ball broke to Gueye and he turned well before smashing a fierce shot just wide of the left post from the edge of the area. I’m not sure that Howard was getting there. That was so close. There were inches in it - and not many inches!
24 min: Origi isolates Distin on the right, which spells trouble. Sure enough, he beats Distin but his hard low ball into the six-yard box is cleared. Lille aren’t done, though. Balmont swings a cross in from the right, which leads to an outrageous attempt at an overhead kick from Rodelin. He doesn’t quite get it right, though, and Baines is able to chest the ball back to Howard.
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23 min: A lull. A shot or two would be nice. Is that too much to ask?
20 min: “I seem to remember when Eto’o was at Barca he did bad things to Chelsea and was by no means underrated at that stage,” says Elliot Carr-Barnsley. “However, considering they had the three R’s, Henry, Ibra, Jav Sav, he could be more vaunted, and history will not remember him as long, I imagine. Of the same era though, Giuly was definitely underrated, did a lot of leg work for the others and was super fast. (special note for Eidur Gudjohnsson and Larsson).”
Surely you’re not including Javier Saviola in that company? Or, for that matter, Ibrahimovic (I refuse to call him that).
18 min: Everton are coming into this match. Eto’o dribbles through the middle and knocks a pass to Pienaar, who instantly plays a lovely flick back to Eto’o. He’s through on goal but the ball gets stuck under his feet and runs through to Enyeama. That’s a shame because it would have been an excellent goal.
15 min: Besic picks up the first booking of the match for a high boot on Corchia, the referee ignoring the fact that he got the ball and didn’t appear to touch the Lille player, who nonetheless made a good show of rolling around in agony.
14 min: Everton threaten for the first time. Eto’o somehow wriggles out of a tight situation on the right, finding space when there appeared to be none and escaping the attentions of two Lille defenders. He slides a cross into the six-yard box but a deflection takes it away from Barkley and Baines can’t react in time.
13 min: Don’t pretend you’re not excited about the return of S Club 7.
12 min: Ross Barkley is off the field receiving treatment on a cut just above his eye. I’m not sure how it happened. Just being honest. He’ll be back soon.
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10 min: Lille are running this. Everton concede possession in the middle again, Gareth Barry at fault this time, and Origi embarks on a powerful burst down the left, easily beating Hibbert. He crosses to the far post but Baines is in the way of Corchia’s attempt to knock the ball into the six-yard box and it trickles away for a throw.
7 min: Does anyone else think that Samuel Eto’o is underrated? Not now, obviously, but when he was in his pomp? He was arguably the best centre-forward in the world when he was in his prime.
6 min: This has been a good start from Lille. Everton have been a bit sloppy. Now Balmont wins a corner on the left. It’s cleared and Pienaar wins a free-kick, relieving a bit of the pressure. Everton don’t keep the ball for too long, though.
4 min: Sylvain Distin lopes forward from the back, striding purposefully into the Lille half, but then gives the ball away, hanging on to it for too long. Lille try to counter, seeking to exploit the space left by Distin, but Barry mops up.
2 min: A mistake by Leighton Baines leads to a chance for Lille. He failed to deal with a high ball well enough on the left flank and the ball was diverted to Corchia. He had Origi in the clear to his right, with few Everton defenders present, but he decided to go it alone and saw his shot from the edge of the area deflected behind for a corner, which comes to nothing. Everton breathe easy. That could have been a disastrous start for the visitors.
And we’re off! Everton, kicking from right to left in the first half, get the ball rolling. There’s a rare old atmosphere inside the stadium, with plenty of Everton fans present. Foreign teams, of course, are famously unable to cope with the chanting of English teams, the 12th man as it were, and we can therefore expect Everton to win by at least six goals.
And here come the teams! Lille are in red, Everton are in blue, I love football, how about you? That’s a bit of Thursday night poetry for you there. You can’t say that we don’t treat you.
It’s good to see Tony Hibbert Ross Barkley in the Everton side again. One of the reasons they have struggled so far is because of his injury but his return against Villa sparked them back into life by the sound of things. They’re a much better side when they have his dynamism and class; he is the kind of player who can change a match for the better in the blink of an eye. That goal against Manchester City last season... That goal.
Evening. The focus should be on football but the build-up to this match has been dominated by the sorry scenes on the streets of Lille, where Everton fans have not received the warmest of welcomes. Last night two fans were hospitalised following an attack by a group of men in a bar; today gas was used by the local police on travelling supporters, although initial reports that rubber bullets were also fired appear to be inaccurate. Even so, it’s all very depressing. You can read more about what’s gone on here.
I suppose, as kick-off nears, we’d better look to the football. It’s a big test for Everton in Europe, where they have generally fared better than they have in the league this season, despite last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa. While their domestic form hasn’t been great, they have made a solid start in the Europa League and top their group after starting with a 4-0 win over Wolfsburg and a 1-1 draw with FC Krasnodar. Lille, eighth in Ligue 1, are third with two points from their first two matches but they will fancy their chances tonight. Especially if Liverpool-bound Divock Origi is in the mood. Well, assuming he’s worked out how to get Tim Howard.
Lille: Enyeama; Beria, Basa, Kjaer, Souare; Balmont, Gueye, Mavuba, Corchia; Rodelin Origi. Subs: Elana, Martin, Frey, Sidibe, Ryan Mendes, Rozehnal, Roux.
Everton: Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Besic, Barry, McGeady, Barkley, Pienaar; Eto’o. Subs: Robles, Gibson, Lukaku, McCarthy, Atsu, Coleman, Alcaraz.
Referee: Manuel de Sousa (Portugal)
Kick-off: 6pm.
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