The Europa League clash between Lille and Everton has finished goalless after a disappointing game in France.
Lille's Idrissa Gueye struck the post during an uneventful first half, but the Toffees improved after the break with Aiden McGeady and Samuel Eto'o both having opportunities to win the game.
However, despite the draw, Everton hold on to top spot in the group, but there are just three points separating them and bottom-place team FC Krasnodar.
Read below to see how the action unfolded on Thursday evening.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Lille and Everton in the Europa League.
It's been three weeks since we brought you any Europa League action but we are back with the fixture between Lille and Everton. These two clubs wouldn't have been too pleased to have been drawn into a group containing Wolfsburg and FC Krasnodar but after coming through their opening games without defeat, tonight's winner will be confident of making the knockout stages after the turn of the year.
The team news has already been revealed at the Stade Lille-Metropole so without further ado, let me bring you both lineups in full.
EVERTON XI: Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Besic, Barry; Barkley, Pienaar, McGeady; Eto'o
EVERTON SUBSTITUTES: Robles, Gibson, Lukaku, McCarthy, Atsu, Coleman, Alcaraz
As expected, Roberto Martinez has tinkered with the team that comfortably saw off Aston Villa at the weekend. Samuel Eto'o has been preferred to Romelu Lukaku in attack after netting in Russia three weeks ago, while there is also a start for Ross Barkley, who only returned from serious injury at the weekend. Tony Hibbert, Sylvain Distin and Aiden McGeady will also feature in France.
LILLE XI: Enyeama; Corchia, Balmont, Gueye, Rodelin; Kjaer, Beria, Souare, Mavuba; Baka, Origi
LILLE SUBSTITUTES: Martin, Frey, Sidibe, Elana, Mendes da Graca, Rozehnal, Roux
The Ligue 1 outfit have a number of notable players in their ranks, including on-loan Liverpool striker Divock Origi. The Belgian forward has been allowed to continue his development in France but with the 19-year-old due at Anfield next year, all eyes will be on his performance this evening.
You may have seen and heard over the past 24 hours about a selection of Everton fans being attacked in a bar yesterday evening, while pictures emerged earlier today of police being involved in an altercation with supporters in the town centre. Let's hope that the action remains on the pitch over the next couple of hours.
Everton's form in the Premier League has improved in recent weeks, but it's been the opposite for Lille, who has fallen to three defeats in their last four league games. Regardless of the statistics though, this should turn out to be a tight game and any of the three possible results wouldn't come as a surprise.
The other fixture in this group between FC Krasnodar and Wolfsburg kicked off at 5pm, and it's the visitors who hold a 1-0 advantage at half time. I'm sure that Lille and Everton will both be hoping that the Russian side can find an equaliser during the second half.
There's a fair old Everton contingent inside the stadium. I'm sure their team will be keen to give them a positive end to what has turned into a turbulent trip so far.
The two teams have made their way out onto the pitch at the Stade Lille-Metropole. Kickoff is coming right up.
Everton get us underway in France.
After an attack down the left breaks down, Everton are forced onto the back foot by Sebastien Corchia, but despite having Divock Origi to his right, he opts to shoot from 20 yards but his effort is deflected behind for a corner.
Lille are very much in the ascendancy so far. Everton look like they have got a difficult night on their hands.
GOALFLASH! Wolfsburg have doubled their lead in Russia against FC Krasnodar. It's looking like the Bundesliga side will be joining Everton on four points in the table.
Forget that. FC Krasnodar have halved the deficit to make the score 2-1. I think that I will just stick to this game. The action is still progressing the same in France, with Lille making all of the running down either flank, but so far, the Everton defence has held firm and snuffed out any danger.
I don't think that Lille stopper Vincent Enyeama has touched the ball yet. That's something that Everton need to change and fast. Ross Barkley appears to have picked up a nasty cut above his eye, but I'm not sure how that came about.
BOOKING! Wow, that's a harsh booking for Muhamed Besic. The midfielder provided excellent cover to prevent a Lille breakaway making any more progress but the referee has deemed his tackle, despite getting the ball, as a yellow card offence.
Divock Origi is beginning to pop up on the left-hand side but although he looks a threat, I'm sure that his manager would prefer him in the middle.
CHANCE! Everton's first chance falls to Samuel Eto'o, but after the Cameroon legend had been played in by Steven Pienaar, he couldn't get the ball out of his feet and it rolled through to Vincent Enyeama. Decent opening, that.
Boos have started to ring out for Everton who have decided that they are going to play the ball about on the halfway line for the time being. They are making no ground but it's perhaps what they need at the moment. They've done a lot of chasing during the opening 20 minutes.
Ronny Rodelin has got one of those names that you feel would go nicely with a fairytale goal, and he tries to find just that with an outrageous overhead kick from 16 yards out. However, he miscues his effort and the ball go straight across the 18-yard line.
CLOSE! Lille come the width of a post from taking the lead in France. The ball rebound kindly to Idrissa Gueye on the edge of the penalty area before he struck the ball with power towards the bottom corner from 20 yards. However, the ball was always swinging away and it clipped the outside of the post before going out for a goal kick.
We have reached the half-hour mark of this game and while it's not been particularly eventful, Everton should count themselves fortunate to still be on level terms. They just aren't spending enough time on the ball or getting it into threatening areas.
I know that I said I would leave the FC Krasnodar and Wolfsburg game alone, but I just can't resist. Wolfsburg have reopened their two-goal advantage and they now lead 3-1 with just under 15 minutes remaining.
SHOT! Aiden McGeady gets a long-range strike on goal but it lacked pace and was never going to trouble Vincent Enyeama. It's the most work that he has done so far, though.
Everton attempt to break forward through McGeady but his attempted through ball has far too much pace on it for Ross Barkley to collect. The England international has barely featured during these opening 38 minutes.
Everton win a free kick around 30 yards and this will definitely interest Leighton Baines. However, it's Ross Barkley who takes responsibility for the set piece but he can only strike the ball yards over the crossbar. It sums up the first half for Everton.
Romelu Lukaku looks like he is nodding off on the bench. I'm not surprised, but he could be used sooner rather than later.
HALF TIME: Lille 0-0 Everton
The half-time whistle has been blown in France and the match between Lille and Everton remains goalless. The home side struck the post through Idrissa Gueye but apart from that, not a whole lot has happened. Let's hope for a better 45 minutes after the break.
The statistic machine must be on the blink because it believes that Everton had 58% of possession during the first half, but I'm not having any of that. It was 50/50 at best. As for attempts on goal, Lille lead that by six to two, with the French side also having the only two corners of the half.
The match in Russia has finished with Wolfsburg emerging 4-2 victors over their hosts FC Krasnodar. That result sees them move up to second place in the group for the time being, but obviously that could change in the next hour. You can read our report of that match by clicking here.
The two sides are slowly making their way back out onto the pitch. It will be interesting to see what Roberto Martinez's instructions are. His team to improve but they would also be pleased with this result as it stands.
Lille get us restarted in France.
It has been a competitive start to the second half, but no chances have come for either side.
The pace of Divock Origi looks to have the beating of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin but on this occasion, Jagielka just about does enough to divert the ball out for a corner. He certainty runs more than Mario Balotelli, Liverpool fans...
CHANCE! Origi can shoot, too. A sharp turn on the edge of the penalty area frees himself of attention from Tony Hibbert but after cutting across the 18-yard box, he fires his shot marginally wide of the top corner. Tim Howard looked beaten.
Ross Barkley wins a free kick, somewhat fortuitously, around 20 yards on goal to give his team another opening on goal. Samuel Eto'o pulls rank over Leighton Baines to send a strike goalwards but it's straight into the arms of Vincent Enyeama.
It's all getting a bit feisty. Franck Beria leads calls for a Lille penalty after the ball strikes Baines, but it's nowhere near his arm and his claims infuriate Steven Pienaar. The two lock horns in a heated exchange but it only results in the referee handing yellow cards out to both men.
Everton put together a nice move down the left flank but Leighton Baines's cross is easily blocked by the defender. Roberto Martinez is readying Romelu Lukaku.
SUBSTITUTION! Lukaku is replacing Steven Pienaar, who is maybe being protected from picking up a second yellow card. Will Lukaku's introduction result in a change in formation for the Toffees?
CHANCE! Talk about an instant impact. Lukaku wins the ball off the defender before playing in Aiden McGeady but Vincent Enyeama pulls off a superb block to prevent the Irishman finding the back of the net from 14 yards out.
All of a sudden, Everton look a different side. There is a liveliness to their attacking play and with the ball being sent in Lukaku's direction at every given opportunity. It looks like Lille have reverted to a back five in the past few minutes too.
This game is really starting to open up. Moments after Aiden McGeady failed to do more with the ball in a four-on-four situation, Lille broke forward in numbers before the move came to a halt because of a foul.
SUBSTITUTION! It's Lille's turn to make an alteration, with Ryan Mendes being introduced to replace Ronny Rodelin in attack.
Lille win a free kick through Idrissa Gueye and it's in dangerous territory. Simon Kjaer looks like he is going to strike the ball from 30 yards out, but it's straight at the wall.
Phil Jagielka does well to stop Divock Origi making inroads into the penalty area but he has to concede a corner to Lille. The ball into the box is a good one, but Gareth Barry manages to head the ball clear. 12 minutes to go in France. Will Roberto Martinez make a further change?
Samuel Eto'o and Muhamed Besic work the ball to Tony Hibbert who is waiting on the right side of the penalty area but the full-back, who hasn't scored in 323(!) games sees a goalbound shot blocked by a defender. Christian Atsu has replaced Aiden McGeady for Everton.
It's a bit of a surprise that Ross Barkley hasn't been withdrawn. In just his second game back, he has looked a little rusty and he's hasn't had an impact in the last 15 minutes.
The tempo of the match has dropped in the last few minutes. Everton have every reason to be happy with this scoreline, but Lille don't. If it stays the same, they will have three points with just one home game still to play.
CLOSE! After a Tony Hibbert brings an end to a Lille break, Everton progress forward at speed with the ball finding Samuel Eto'o on the left. The striker cuts inside onto his right foot before curling the ball no more than a yard wide of the far post.
There will be two minutes of added-on time.
FULL TIME: Lille 0-0 Everton
The full-time whistle goes in France and it comes as no surprise that the match has finished 0-0. It was a disappointing game, but Everton will be relatively pleased to have earned a point away from home and to keep hold of top spot in the group.
Everton lead the group by one point to Wolfsburg, who defeated FC Krasnodar earlier this evening. A further point separates the German side and Lille, with Krasnodar bringing up the rear on two points, but they are just a win away of catching Everton so it remains an extremely tight group.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this match but we hope that you stick around for the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Asteras as well as the contest between Celtic and Astra Giurgiu. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
