Goodison Set For Goals As Everton Play Wolfsburg

Everton welcome German side Vfl Wolfsburg to Goodison Park tonight (18th September) in the Merseyside club`s first game on the European stage for four years. Group H also sees Lille have an easier proposition against Russian first-timers FK Krasnodar at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in their opening game of their Europa League campaign.

The Toffees go into the match after having picked up their first win of the Premier League season with a composed 2-0 away victory against strugglers West Brom. Three games into the Bundesliga season and the same can`t be said of Wolfsburg. Dieter Hecking`s side having failed to win any of their opening encounters. An unenviable start away to Pep Guardiola`s reigning Champions Bayern Munich ended in a 2-1 defeat before they tied their following fixtures with Eintracht Frankfurt (2-2) and Hoffenheim (1-1). As a result, both betfred and Totesport have Everton as Evens favourites to record back-to-back victories in all competitions and kick-start their revival in the continental tournament. Eleven to four (bet365, Betvictor, william hill) says Wolfsburg will be able to snatch a draw from Roberto Martinez`s men, whilst an away victory can be picked up at 16/5 (betfair).

The blue half of Merseyside will be buoyed by the possible returns of Sylvain Distin and full-back Tony Hibbert. Frenchman Distin missed last week`s win against Albion with a back injury though will be available to play his part if called upon. Thirty-three-year-old Hibbert, a former youth product who has been at the club for fourteen years, has had a torrid time with fitness, making only one appearance last season as an 88th minute substitute in a 0-0 bore draw against Aston Villa. Despite such injury worries, the one-club man signed a two-year contract extension in July and could mark his return tonight.

A strong back-line will be key for Everton with tonight`s opponents carrying a striking threat in front of goal. Last season, Croatian Ivica Olic netted fifteen times in the Bundesliga and has started the 2014-15 campaign as impressively as his last. Thirty-five-year-old Olic, who grabbed the first goal in his country`s 4-0 rout of Cameroon at this year`s world Cup, bagged the consolation goal against Bayern before rescuing a well-deserved point in the final minute of normal time against Hoffenheim. Dubbed the `king of important matches` by former Croatia manager Slaven Bilic, Olic is 13/5 with 888sport and unibet to find his name on the scoresheet. Anyone expecting Wolfsburg to be a one-man team, however, will be very much mistaken. Hecking`s men scored 68 to the Toffees 61 last season with five different players contributing to the team`s six goals in the Bundesliga so far this time around.

Martinez spoke of Wolfsburg`s potency in his pre-match press conference yesterday, describing the side as `well-structured` and experienced.

`They are a well-structured team and the midfielders give really good balance to the side, and experience. They have full international players who know how to play these occasions.`

The Spaniard can take comfort in his own strengthened strike force. Former Barcelona and Chelsea man Samuel Eto`o is available for selection after sitting out last week`s win against West Brom with a groin concern and should provide a competition for Belgian hotshot Romelu Lukaku. Though recovery from a serious knee injury picked up in a 2-1 win over Hull last October means that Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone is still out. The 30-year-old made his first appearance since the injury in a behind-closed-doors match last Thursday, but a date for his first-team reappearance is still unknown.

With a plethora of mesmerising and unforgiving attacking players set to take to the field for both sides, our tip of the match goes to ladbrokes` 7/10 offering on both teams to score.

Go To bet365

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18/09/2014     © Frixo 2024