Hapeol gaffer Barak Bakhar is wearing an excellent t-shirt by the way. Sort of print pattern that you'd wear in a sweaty nightclub in the early 2000s.

Saints, decked out in that charcoal away kit, quickly get into their stride. The visitors enjoy plenty of early possession, much to the disgust of the home supporters. Piercing whistles greet every every Saints touch.

I still can't get used to seeing one bloke kicking off the game. Hapoel forward Loai Taha has the honour tonight. Game on!

Twenty-four ties in all tonight, with two involving the Premier League sides but plenty of other big-hitters in action too.

Former Serie A champions Inter Milan - who are in Southampton's group - travel to Sparta Prague looking to pick up their first points of the competition. Fellow Italian giants Roma host Astra Giurgui, while Fiorentina face Qarabag.

Former European Cup champions Ajax entertain Belgian club Standard Liege, while Rapid Vienna face a tough trip to La Liga side Athletic Bilbao.

Saints skipper Virgil van Dijk towers over his counterpart Maor Melikson at the coin toss. Hapoel to kick off.

Before we get going here's what else is happening around the Europa League tonight...

Right then. Ready? The two teams are strolling out of the tunnel. And there is a partisan atmosphere inside the wonderfully-named Yaakov Turner Toto Stadium. 

The home fans are waving white flags in the air. But the home players don't know what that metaphorically means. The Israeli champions have not lost at home since moving to their new stadium last year. That's 22 games, 17 wins and five draws. Gulp.

Image source, Getty Images

1981. A year remarkable even by modern day standards.

A year when the United Kingdom was knee-deep in all kinds of political and social turmoil.

A year when Southampton last won an away match in regular European competition.

It was that long ago that even Alan Ball, Mick Channon and Kevin Keegan were still playing.

Southampton might have suffered a bit of European travel sickness over the past 30-odd years, but they clambered off the plane in Israel's sixth largest city in great health.

Saints have won four on the trot after demolishing a poor West Ham side on Sunday.

Goals scored in those four games? Nine. Goals conceded? Zero.

Now they are looking to build on the 3-0 win against Sparta Prague in their Europa League opener.

"We worked so hard to get ourselves in the Europa League and we want to go and enjoy it now," says Saints midfielder Davis.

"We've made a good start with the result against Sparta and it's important we build on that again. We want to progress through the group stages and then carry on from there."

Image source, Getty Images

A few familiar faces are missing for the visitors. 

Jose Fonte, Ryan Bertrand, Steven Davis and Charlie Austin are all watching from the sofa (or following our live commentary while they are out and about) after being left at home by Saints boss Claude Puel.

Seven changes in all for the visitors. Only keeper Fraser Forster, centre-back Virgil van Dijk, central midfielder Oriol Romeu and attacker Nathan Redmond keep their places from Sunday’s 3-0 win at West Ham.

So here's the English-inspired menu:

Hapoel Be'er Sheva v Southampton (18:00 BST)

Manchester United v Zorya Luhansk (20:05 BST)

And the team-sheets have been handed in to the ref over in Israel...

Image source, PA

Hello! And welcome to a night where we're going to be entertained by some of the biggest clubs and some of the biggest names in Europe. What do you mean you didn't know it is a Champions League night?! Noooo, it is a Europa League night.

Manchester United, Zlatan, Jose. Southampton, er, Fraser Forster, and er, Claude Puel... Not to mention Inter Milan, Frank de Boer, Roma, Francesco Totti...

Of course, the two English clubs will be the centre of our attention tonight. And we have a two-course treat for your delectation.

Image source, Getty Images

In the not-so distant past, football was a chauvinist world where females weren't seen in the floral patterned-carpeted and oak-pannelled boardrooms of professional clubs.

It was a time when Karren Brady - the self-proclaimed 'First Lady of Football' - was the only visible woman in a top job. Well, her and Gabriella 'The Manageress' Benson..., external

Thankfully, times have changed. And tonight we will witness history.

Two club owners. Two females. The first time in European competition.

It's Alona Barkat v Katharina Liebherr. It's Hapoel Be'er Sheva v Southampton.

Image source, Twitter/Getty Images