UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2017/18 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS GSP - Nicosia Thursday 14 September 2017 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Apollon Limassol FC Group E - Matchday 1 Olympique Lyonnais Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 4 Squad list 6 Fixtures and results 9 Match-by-match lineups 12 Match officials 14 Legend 15 1 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Previous meetings Head to Head No UEFA competition matches have been played between these two teams Apollon Limassol FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers OGC Nice - Apollon Limassol 1-0 29/08/2013 PO Nice Cvitanich 4 FC agg: 1-2 Apollon Limassol FC - OGC 22/08/2013 PO 2-0 Nicosia Sangoy 54, 63 Nice Olympique Lyonnais - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 1-0 07/03/2012 R16 APOEL FC - Olympique Lyonnais agg: 1-1 (aet, 4- Nicosia Manduca 9 3pens) Olympique Lyonnais - APOEL 14/02/2012 R16 1-0 Lyon Lacazette 58 FC Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA Apollon Limassol FC 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 Olympique Lyonnais 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 1 2 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Match background • #EQUALGAME This week, football fans watching UEFA Europa League matches in stadiums, online and on TV will witness the premiere of the new UEFA RESPECT TV ads, called #EqualGame. The adverts feature Ada Hegerberg, Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo and amateur players and will run throughout the season to promote inclusion, diversity and accessibility in European Football with the motto "Everyone has the right to enjoy football, no matter who you are, where you're from, or how you play." More information on the campaign and on the advertisements can be found in the accompanying media release and on the campaign website: www.equalgame.com. Apollon Limassol will hope that memories of a miserable European night will haunt Lyon as they return to Nicosia for their UEFA Europa League Group E opener. Previous meetings • The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition, though Lyon have been to the GSP Stadium in Nicosia before – featuring in one of the most celebrated games in Cypriot football. • In Lyon's only previous UEFA encounter with Cypriot opposition, they took on APOEL in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, trading 1-0 home wins before losing the tie 4-3 on penalties in Nicosia. • In their only past match with a French side, Apollon unexpectedly got the better of Nice in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League play-offs, winning 2-0 at home and holding on to progress with a 1-0 loss in France. Form guide • Apollon are unbeaten in seven European home games (W5 D2), a run in which they have scored 18 goals. • Lyon have lost their last three UEFA away fixtures. • Apollon competed in back-to-back UEFA Europa League group stages in 2013/14 and 2014/15, but have yet to make it to the round of 32. They finished third in Cyprus last term, and beat champions APOEL in the domestic cup final. • Semi-finalists last season, when they lost out to Ajax having transferred from the UEFA Champions League group stage, Lyon have won their last four UEFA Europa League home matches. Links and trivia • The journey from Lyon to Nicosia is a little short of 2,700km. • Apollon boast French talent in the form of centre-back Valentin Roberge, who played B-team football for Guingamp and Paris Saint-Germain before heading abroad. He last played in France for Reims, on loan from Sunderland in 2014/15. The coaches • Sofronis Avgousti has coached home-town team Apollon since 2016, having previously served the club in three separate spells as a goalkeeper. The 11-times capped international was also on the books at AEK Larnaca, Aris Limassol and APOEL. • Born in Lyon, Bruno Génésio came through the club's ranks as a midfielder, playing for the senior side from 1985– 95, and returning as assistant coach in 2011 before taking sole command in December 2015. 3 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Team facts Apollon Limassol Formed: 1954 Nickname: Thrylos (Legend) UEFA club competition honours • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 3 (2006) Cypriot Cup: 9 (2017) Ten-year record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2016/17: third qualifying round 2015/16: third qualifying round 2014/15: group stage 2013/14: group stage 2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition 2010/11: third qualifying round 2009/10: did not take part in UEFA competition 2008/09: did not take part in UEFA competition 2007/08: did not take part in UEFA competition Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-0 twice, most recently v Trakai 16/07/15, UEFA Europa League second qualifying round first leg • Biggest away win 1-4 twice, most recently v Lokomotiv Moskva 28/08/14, UEFA Europa League play-off second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-4: Apollon v Győr 23/09/67, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round second leg • Heaviest away defeat 8-0: Djurgården v Apollon 29/06/96, UEFA Intertoto Cup group stage 8-0: Barcelona v Apollon 15/09/82, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round first leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 4-0 twice, most recently v Trakai (see above) • Biggest away win 1-4 twice, most recently v Lokomotiv Moskva (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Apollon v Ajax 27/09/01, first round second leg 0-3: Apollon v Real Zaragoza 14/09/89, first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 6-1: Bohemians Praha v Apollon 19/09/84, first round first leg 5-0: Borussia Mönchengladbach v Apollon 23/10/14, group stage Olympique Lyonnais Formed: 1950 4 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Nickname: Les Gones (The Kids) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 1997 Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 7 (2008) French Cup: 5 (2012) League Cup: 1 (2001) Ten-year record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2016/17: semi-finals (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage) 2015/16: UEFA Champions League group stage 2014/15: play-offs 2013/14: quarter-finals (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2012/13: round of 32 2011/12: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2010/11: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2009/10: UEFA Champions League semi-finals 2008/09: UEFA Champions League round of 16 2007/08: UEFA Champions League round of 16 Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 7-0: Lyon v Red Boys Differdange 17/09/74, UEFA Cup first round first leg • Biggest away win 1-7: Dinamo Zagreb v Lyon 07/12/11, UEFA Champions League group stage • Heaviest home defeat 2-5: Lyon v Borussia Mönchengladbach 05/11/74, UEFA Cup second round second leg 0-3 twice, most recently v Bayern München 27/04/10, UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg • Heaviest away defeat 4-0 three times, most recently v Real Madrid 18/10/11, UEFA Champions League group stage UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 7-0: Lyon v Red Boys Differdange (see above) • Biggest away win 1-4 three times, most recently v AZ Alkmaar 16/02/17, round of 32 first leg • Heaviest home defeat 2-5: Lyon v Borussia Mönchengladbach (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 4-0: Werder Bremen v Lyon 07/12/99, third round second leg 5 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Squad list Apollon Limassol FC Current season All-time QUAL UEL League UEL UEFA No. Player Nat. DoB Age D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 46 Tasos Kissas CYP 18/01/1988 29 - - - - - - - - - - - 83 Bruno Vale POR 08/04/1983 34 - 6 - - - 1 - 11 - 29 - Defenders 21 Jander BRA 08/07/1988 29 - 6 2 - - 1 1 - - 6 2 22 Valentin Roberge FRA 09/06/1987 30 - 6 - - - 1 - 5 1 15 1 27 Angelis Angelis CYP 31/05/1989 28 - - - - - - - 7 - 10 - 28 Marios Stylianou CYP 23/09/1993 23 - 3 - - - - - 6 - 16 - 44 Héctor Yuste ESP 12/01/1988 29 - 6 - - - 1 - - - 6 - 56 Leonidas Kyriakou CYP 24/02/1998 19 - - - - - - - - - - - 88 Georgios Vasiliou CYP 12/06/1984 33 - 2 - - - - - 7 - 14 - Midfielders 5 Esteban Sachetti ESP 21/11/1985 31 - 5 - - - 1 - - - 12 - 9 Nicolás Martínez POR 25/09/1987 29 - - - - - 1 - - - - - 10 Alex BRA 15/08/1983 34 - 6 2 - - 1 - - - 20 3 13 Constantinos Makridis CYP 13/01/1982 35 - - - - - - - 5 1 42 4 14 Allan BRA 03/03/1997 20 - - - - - - - - - - - 17 João Pedro POR 04/05/1986 31 - 6 1 - - 1 - - - 15 2 20 Alastair Reynolds SCO 02/09/1996 21 - - - - - - - - - 1 - 26 Fotis Papoulis GRE 22/01/1985 32 - - - - - - - 10 2 20 6 33 Giannis Hadjivasili CYP 26/04/1990 27 - - - - - - - - - - - 68 Andrei Pițian ROU 16/11/1995 21 - - - - - - - 1 - 3 - 77 Adrián Sardinero ESP 13/10/1990 26 - 4 - - - 1 - 3 1 11 2 92 Antonio Jakoliš CRO 28/02/1992 25 - 4 - - - 1 - 3 - 14 1 95 Alef BRA 28/01/1995 22 - 3 - - - 1 - - - 3 - Forwards 11 Emilio Zelaya ITA 30/07/1987 30 - 5 1 - - 1 - - - 5 1 30 André Schembri MLT 27/05/1986 31 - 6 4 - - 1 - - - 22 8 52 Ioannis Pittas CYP 10/07/1996 21 - 3 1 - - 1 - - - 4 1 59 Evdoras Silvestros CYP 19/06/1998 19 - - - - - - - - - - - 99 Anton Maglica CRO 11/11/1991 25 - 6 - - - - - - - 24 3 Coach - Sofronis Avgousti CYP 09/03/1977 40 - 5 - - - - - - - 5 - 6 Apollon Limassol FC - Olympique Lyonnais Thursday 14 September 2017 - 19.00CET (20.00 local time) Match press kit GSP, Nicosia Olympique Lyonnais Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA No.