Atalanta 3 Everton 0 FT: Italians run riot as they punish Ronald Koeman’s sorry Toffees

EVERTON face a tough test as they travel to Italy's surprise package in their opening Europa League match.

Atalanta finished 4th in Serie A last season above both Milan clubs and Lazio.

• This will be the first ever meeting between Atalanta and Everton and Atalanta’s first ever encounter with an English side.
• Everton have faced Italian opposition on six previous occasions (W1 D2 L3), scoring in just one of those games – a 2-0 win in March 2008 at Goodison Park against Fiorentina.
• The Toffees have lost all three of their away games in Italy without scoring - losing 0-1 v Inter Milan in a European Cup game in September 1963, 0-1 v AC Milan in a UEFA Cup game in October 1975 and 0-2 v Fiorentina in March 2008, also in the UEFA Cup.
• The Orobici have faced British opponents once before, facing Merthyr Tydfil in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987/88 – they eliminated the Welsh side 3-2 on aggregate.
• Atalanta are competing in European competition for the first time since the 1990/91 campaign, when they played in the UEFA Cup and reached the quarter-final.
• Gian Piero Gasperini has managed in the Europa League previously – his Genoa side failed to make it out of the group stage in the 2009/10 campaign.
• Everton have featured in two previous UEFA Europa League campaigns, making it out of the group stage on both occasions – they lost in the last 32 in 2009/10 and the last 16 in 2014/15.
• In European competition, English sides have lost nine of their last 13 visits to Italy (W2 D2 L9).
• In the Europa League only, just one English side has ever won against an Italian side away from home (P10 W1 D4 L5) – Liverpool defeating Udinese 1-0 in December 2012.
• Everton’s Davy Klaassen featured in the Ajax team that reached the Europa League final last season – he played 13 games, scoring twice and assisting once.
• Ronald Koeman hasn’t managed in European competition (excl. qualifiers) since the 2009/10 season with AZ in the Champions League – the Dutch side were eliminated at the group stage.