Pressure is growing on Everton as the team desperately try to improve a run of just two wins in their last 11 games in all competitions.
Ronald Koeman's side will search for their first Group E victory in the Europa League when they face a Lyon team that are also winless at this stage of the competition.
Everton
© OffsideExpectations were high heading into the season due to the Toffees spending more than £100m on new players in the summer transfer window.
Koeman recruited the likes of Michael Keane, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen and secured the return of Wayne Rooney, but he failed to replace the quality provided by Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United in a £75m deal.
The Belgian striker scored 25 Premier League goals last season, and his absence has been sorely felt as the team have netted just five times in the top flight so far.
In the Europa League, the Merseyside outfit navigated their way through the qualifiers - albeit not displaying their best form on the pitch - but once the group stage started, the team forgot how to win.
Koeman and his men got off to the worst possible start by losing 3-0 to Atalanta BC, and they failed to respond in their next fixture against Apollon Limassol.
Everything looked promising when the team came from behind to take a 2-1 lead, but an 88th-minute header from Hector Yuste crushed the Toffees, who in the end settled for a 2-2 draw.
While the Europa League may not be Everton's priority, a win against Lyon is required not only for their hopes of progressing in the competition but for morale.
Rumours circling around Koeman's future will not help matters, but the knowledge that the team are facing Arsenal in the league this weekend should be enough to keep the players focused on the job at hand.
Recent Europa League form: LD
Recent form (all competitions): LWWDLD
Lyon
© Getty ImagesGiven the fact that the French outfit made it all the way to last season's Europa League semi-finals - where they lost to Ajax - many would have expected Bruno Genesio's team to set the competition alight.
However, the Ligue 1 side are yet to really find their stride as they currently sit second in Group E, two points behind Atalanta and one point above bottom-placed Everton.
Both matches against Apollon Limassol and Atalanta ended in 1-1 draws, with former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay and Bertrand Traore getting on the scoresheet respectively.
Despite struggling to muster consistently attractive displays on the field, Genesio's side sit sixth in the Ligue 1 table, nine points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
In fact, in 11 games in all competitions, the French outfit have suffered just one defeat, and that was a 2-0 loss to PSG - other than that they have recorded four wins and six draws.
Lyon suffered a blow in the summer when their main goalscorer Alexandre Lacazette left the club to join Arsenal, but his replacement Mariano has stepped up to the plate, netting seven goals in nine league starts.
Genesio certainly has the players to get the job done against Everton, but the club have failed to win any of their last four European matches on the road.
Recent Europa League form: DD
Recent form (all competitions): DLDDDW
Team News
© SilverHubEverton have a number of casualties on the treatment table, including Ross Barkley and Aaron Lennon, but the one player that they are desperately missing is a goalscorer.
Koeman has his pick of number 10s, but due to Oumar Niasse not initially being included in the Europa League squad, the manager will likely play Wayne Rooney as part of an attacking line.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, who cost the Merseyside outfit a club-record £45m in the summer, is also expected to be named in the starting lineup, perhaps with Davy Klaassen, who has been left out of the club's previous two league matches.
The Toffees have been leaking goals - 21 in all competitions - but Ashley Williams and Keane could be partnered at the back against a Lyon side that have scored 10 goals in their last four outings.
With regards to the visiting team, Genesio has no fresh injury concerns, which suggests that Depay and Traore will operate on the flanks, with Nabil Fekir providing support to Mariano.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Baines, Keane, Williams, Holgate; Gueye, Schneiderlin, Klaassen; Calvert-Lewin, Sigurdsson, Rooney
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Mendy, Diakhaby, Yanga-Mbiwa, Tete; Depay, Tousart, N'Dombele, Fekir, Mariano
Head To Head
The history between these two clubs makes for very short reading as the pair have never met in a competitive setting until now.
The last time that Everton took on French opposition was in the group stage of the 2014-15 Europa League when they recorded a goalless draw and then a 3-0 win over Lille.
As for Lyon, they are familiar with English clubs having taken on the Toffees' Merseyside rivals Liverpool in the 2009-10 Champions League group stage, winning one of their meetings 2-1.
In total, the Ligue 1 outfit have won three, drawn seven and lost six competitive matches against teams based in England.
We say: Everton 0-1 Lyon
Lyon have been firing in Ligue 1, but for some reason the goals are sparse in European competition. Having said that, they will be facing a team low in confidence and leaky at the back. Being at home should be a plus for any club, but that is not guaranteed for Everton given that they have won three, lost two and drawn one at Goodison in all competitions so far. The failure to replace Lukaku is coming back to haunt them and without a reliable striker up top, it is difficult to see the Toffees scoring on Thursday night.
