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Everton through to Europa League round of 32 after Wolfsburg victory | Everton through to Europa League round of 32 after Wolfsburg victory |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Everton are through to the Europa League knockout rounds as Group H winners with one game to spare after pulling off a fine 2-0 away victory over Wolfsburg. | Everton are through to the Europa League knockout rounds as Group H winners with one game to spare after pulling off a fine 2-0 away victory over Wolfsburg. |
The Toffees’ qualification was confirmed after Krasnodar against Lille, finishing in a draw. | |
And Roberto Martínez’s men - already 1-0 up by that point - then secured the bonus of top spot by finishing off their job in Germany, a Kevin Mirallas breakaway strike adding to that scored by Romelu Lukaku before the interval to wrap up a hugely impressive night’s work. | And Roberto Martínez’s men - already 1-0 up by that point - then secured the bonus of top spot by finishing off their job in Germany, a Kevin Mirallas breakaway strike adding to that scored by Romelu Lukaku before the interval to wrap up a hugely impressive night’s work. |
There could have been other Everton goals when Sylvain Distin hit the crossbar and Aiden McGeady missed a sitter, but as well as posing a threat on the counter-attack, the Merseysiders defended bravely throughout as second-placed Wolfsburg applied considerable pressure. | There could have been other Everton goals when Sylvain Distin hit the crossbar and Aiden McGeady missed a sitter, but as well as posing a threat on the counter-attack, the Merseysiders defended bravely throughout as second-placed Wolfsburg applied considerable pressure. |
There was also some luck for the visitors, with a first-half Ivan Perisic effort being ruled out for offside when it should have stood while the score was still 0-0. | There was also some luck for the visitors, with a first-half Ivan Perisic effort being ruled out for offside when it should have stood while the score was still 0-0. |
Overall, though, they certainly deserved a result that maintains their unbeaten run in the group, taking them to 11 points from five games. | Overall, though, they certainly deserved a result that maintains their unbeaten run in the group, taking them to 11 points from five games. |
The couple of thousand Toffees fans present at the stadium on a chilly night certainly went home satisfied, and feeling optimistic about how far this continental campaign - the club’s first in five seasons - can go. | |
In the opening stages of the contest Wolfsburg roared on by their vociferous support, looked lively, particularly Croatia forward Perisic, who misdirected an early attempt on goal with his head. | |
A spell of Everton possession led to Samuel Eto’o sending the ball out for a goal-kick with a tame effort, and the hosts were back on the attack, Perisic running on to a through-ball and seeing his shot skid wide as Tim Howard came out to meet him. | |
The away side then suddenly came close to breaking the deadlock as Distin’s header from European debutant Luke Garbutt’s corner bounced up off the turf and against the woodwork. | The away side then suddenly came close to breaking the deadlock as Distin’s header from European debutant Luke Garbutt’s corner bounced up off the turf and against the woodwork. |
The action switched to the other end again, Howard doing well to tip a strike from outside the box by Aaron Hunt wide, and Wolfsburg then had the ball in the net through Perisic’s, but it was disallowed. | |
The assistant referee’s flag was raised and the effort was disallowed, but replays suggested the offside call had been incorrect. | The assistant referee’s flag was raised and the effort was disallowed, but replays suggested the offside call had been incorrect. |
Having enjoyed some apparent luck in that instance, Everton were then dealt a blow as James McCarthy limped off the field, the subsequent enforced substitution seeing Leon Osman come on in his place.Mirallas fired a warning in the 36th minute with a nice strike that Diego Benaglio tipped over, before Everton skipper Phil Jagielka made a great block to thwart Wolfsburg’s ex-Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne.Martínez’s team showed their ruthlessness on the counter in the 43rd minute, a breakaway move seeing Mirallas feed the ball to Lukaku, who got the better of Junior Malanda and slotted past Diego Benaglio. | |
Wolfsburg looked threatening once more after the break, with De Bruyne having a shot saved by the legs of Howard and another former Barclays Premier League player, ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, heading in only to see the flag up again for offside - which looked like the right call this time. | Wolfsburg looked threatening once more after the break, with De Bruyne having a shot saved by the legs of Howard and another former Barclays Premier League player, ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, heading in only to see the flag up again for offside - which looked like the right call this time. |
Everton then passed up a great opportunity to make it 2-0 when Benaglio parried a Lukaku strike and McGeady ballooned his follow-up effort off-target with the goal at his mercy. | Everton then passed up a great opportunity to make it 2-0 when Benaglio parried a Lukaku strike and McGeady ballooned his follow-up effort off-target with the goal at his mercy. |
Howard was called upon to make another decent save moments later, pushing Perisic’s drive around the post and then palmed away a Marcel Schafer effort from distance.Everton struck again as Lukaku returned the favour to Mirallas in the 75th minute, feeding his fellow Belgium international, who produced a composed finish. | |
Wolfsburg kept pressing but to no avail, while Everton substitute Ross Barkley hit the back of the net with a shot, but became the latest player to be denied by the offside flag. | Wolfsburg kept pressing but to no avail, while Everton substitute Ross Barkley hit the back of the net with a shot, but became the latest player to be denied by the offside flag. |