Struggling sides out to gain momentum in Europa League

Everton, Milan, Arsenal all need wins after disappointing results over the weekend


Afp October 18, 2017
PHOTO: AFP

PARIS: Under-fire Everton will hope to kickstart their campaign when they play host to Lyon on Thursday looking for a first win in the Europa League group stage.

The Premier League side have just one point from their opening two matches in Group E, following up a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Atalanta in Italy by drawing 2-2 at home to the Cypriots Apollon Limassol last month.

Icardi hat-trick downs AC Milan


Ronald Koeman's men required a late Wayne Rooney penalty to draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on domestic duty at the weekend, and in the last two months their only wins have come against Sunderland in the League Cup and Bournemouth.

"We just need to get results and once we do that, the confidence will come back into the team and things will come a little bit easier for us," £45 million summer signing Gylfi Sigurdsson told the club's website. "And I think if we get a couple of results back-to-back then we'll hopefully get going. I don't think we're too far away."

Lyon travel to England having also failed to win in the competition thus far, but Bruno Genesio's side are fresh from beating Monaco 3-2 last weekend thanks to captain Nabil Fekir's late free-kick.

Desperate to go all the way to a final that will be played in their own Groupama Stadium, Lyon are without injured former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz.

Wenger rues Arsenal panic after penalty dispute


Everton's Premier League rivals Arsenal have fared rather better in the competition so far, beating both Cologne and BATE Borisov in Group H.

Arsene Wenger now takes his team to Serbia to face former European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade, who would leapfrog the Gunners to the top of the section with a win.

Like in previous games, Wenger will field a second-string side with the likes of Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere likely to feature along with several youngsters as Arsenal seek to bounce back from their 2-1 loss at Watford at the weekend.

In other games, AC Milan will look to ease some of the pressure building on coach Vincenzo Montella with a win at home to AEK Athens.

Montella received the backing of club chief Marco Fassone in the wake of Sunday's 3-2 derby defeat to Inter, Milan's third straight defeat in Serie A.

Reports in Italy have suggested that the coach must claim wins against AEK and against Genoa and Chievo in Serie A if he is to keep his job.

 

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ