Full-time: Hajduk Split 1-1 Everton (1-3 agg)
That’s your lot! Gylfi Sigurdsson’s amazing goal and Jordan Pickford’s penalty save are the highlights as Everton make sure of their place in tomorrow’s Europa League draw. Thanks for reading and emailing. Bye!
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90 min: There will be two added minutes.
88 min: The home fans are still singing. But they know this is done.
85 min: Kosulj replaces Vlasic.
84 min: Rooney runs on to a ball over the top from Keane. He’s through on goal, but he hasn’t got the pace to get away from the defenders, so he cuts back inside before shooting and Stipica saves his firm drive.
80 min: This hasn’t been a particularly impressive performance from Everton, but this is a tough week and they’re doing enough. Remember, they go to Chelsea on Sunday.
77 min: Erceg and Williams briefly clash after a collision in the Everton area. It’s all cleared up quickly enough, though.
73 min: Said rams a shot wide of the near post from the left. “You are an an unpatriotic Roomoaner,” says Kevin McKee. “Actually, I agree with your Lineker v. Rooney assessment, but since no one seems to have confirmed your label so far, and since it is such a great label, I thought I’d help you out. Can we even compare them, though? Very, very different players, Gary arguably the more natural goal scorer, but Rooney arguably the (whisper it) better all-round player. Of course, Gary never got himself sent off at a crucial point in a game when playing for England.”
72 min: Besic is booked. Then Tom Davies replaces Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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67 min: It’s all happening. Now Calvert-Lewin shows great pace to burst past the Hajduk defence, but Stipica is out quickly to smother his shot. Rooney picks up the pieces, but he can’t produce anything of note.
JORDAN PICKFORD SAVES THE PENALTY!
65 min: After a brief argument about who’s going to take the penalty, Said steps up for the hosts. He has to score here. But he telegraphs where he’s going. Pickford reads it and the Everton goalkeeper dives to the right to push a tame effort away!
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PENALTY TO HAJDUK SPLIT!
64 min: Ashley Williams tries to step in and win the ball off Erceg, but only succeeds in clattering into the forward and the Russian referee does not hesitate to point to the spot.
62 min: “Astonishing is exactly the word,” says Matt Richman of Sigurdsson’s goal. “I’m watching it being replayed over and over and I still cannot work out how he had time to think that one through, let alone work out the execution. Yet there is no way that was accidental.”
60 min: Sigurdsson breaks into the home area on the left, reaching a lofted deep pass from Besic, and tries to roll the ball across for Calvert-Lewin. Nizic almost scores an own goal putting it behind.
59 min: Radosevic almost does it again, but this time his low long-range effort fizzes wide.
57 min: A clever Hajduk move slices Everton open through the middle, but Said’s deflected shot from 18 yards runs through to Pickford.
55 min: The ball breaks to Erceg in the Everton area. His shot takes a deflection off Martina and spins off a corner, which comes to nothing.
52 min: “Great goal from Sigurdsson,” says Mike Nagle. “Nice to see Aaron Lennon on the pitch after his problems last season. Good luck to him. Always liked him at Spurs.”
49 min: Is it too much to say that goal’s worth £45m on its own? Probably. But that was all very exciting.
47 min: Thirteen seconds, that took. What vision and imagination from Sigurdsson, though, and what a way to steady the ship for Everton. That’s some way to get the away goal.
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GOAL! Hajduk Split 1-1 Everton (Sigurdsson, 46 min; 1-3 agg)
This is astonishing from Gylfi Sigurdsson! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a goal like this before. A long ball’s pumped down the right flank. Nothing seems to be on. Think again. Sigurdsson, stretching and falling, is around 45 yards from goal. What can he do here other than try to keep the ball in play? Well, he can only generate the power and accuracy to somehow lob an absurd volley over the stranded Hajduk goalkeeper, who could hardly be blamed for being off his line! Wow.
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46 min: Off we go again. Everton have made a change and it’s a significant one: Aaron Lennon has come on for Ademola Lookman. And...
Half-time: Hajduk Split 1-0 Everton (1-2 agg)
Everton seemed to be cruising. Not any more. Radosevic’s thunderbolt has utterly altered the mood of this tie. A fascinating second half awaits us.
44 min: The noise is deafening. Everton could be in trouble here.
GOAL! Hajduk Split 1-0 Everton (Radosevic, 43 min; 1-2 agg)
Out of nothing, Hajduk Split halve Everton’s aggregate with a stunning goal from Radosevic! The midfielder was allowed to shoot from roughly 30 yards – the threat seemed minimal - but his powerful effort skimmed off Schneiderlin’s back and zoomed past the flabberghasted Pickford and into the top left corner! What a goal! The home fans have come alive now. Everton need to keep their composure.
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41 min: “How lucky do you think Everton are that Said was ruled offside early in the game?” says JR in Illinois. “Not sure who the announcer is but upon seeing the replay he felt Said was not offside and Pickford would have been sent off and Hajduk would have had a penalty.”
That wasn’t the case on my feed, but it’s a game of opinions, especially when it comes to the offside law.
38 min: Hajduk Split attack down the right, Everton failing to clear their lines, and the visitors proceed to make a mess of sorting themselves out when the ball reaches the far post. Erceg reacts fastest when Said’s overhead kick drops to him, shooting from close range, and Pickford has to react smartly to push the ball away! He was unsighted and it took a little deflection off Keane, but he still saved it and Everton survive.
34 min: A sloppy clearance from Keane falls to Erceg, who dupes his markers with a clever turn, but his shot’s blocked.
32 min: “I feel an unease not just comparing say Charlton and Rooney but doing the same with Broad and Botham,” says Ian Copestake. “I am glad we have had Broad but Botham’s impact went so far beyond stats.”
29 min: Not. Much. Happening.
25 min: Calvert Lewin pulls a cross back from the byline on the left and the ball drops to Sigurdsson, who bends a difficult volley wide from 15 yards.
23 min: Barry wallops one over from 25 yards.
22 min: “Bar the Portugal Euros, where he shone before getting injured, Wayne has always been a flat-track bully and his goal record flatters him,” says Alexander Martin. “Lineker on the other hand is a big stage performer, whether he’s winning the golden boot with his arm in a cast, or dispensing put-downs to cocky demagogues and xenophobic tabloids online, Lineker is a superstar and a true national treasure.”
20 min: Rooney clips a clever pass through to Martina on the right. Martina crosses first time and Rooney times his run into the area well, only to mistime his header and send it bouncing wide. “I think he decided a while ago, but he was waiting until he got called up again to announce it,” says Dan C. “No one wants to do an Andy Cole.” Yes. That’s precisely why I haven’t announced my international retirement either.
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18 min: Said turns and sprays a pass out to the left for Vlasic, who drags a poor shot wide from an unlikely angle.
15 min: A slow start. That will suit Everton. They don’t have to do much. Just kill the tie. Silence the crowd. An away goal would end this as a contest.
11 min: I know there’s a danger I’ll be labelled an unpatriotic Roomoaner, but isn’t Rooney’s England record a bit overrated? Does being the highest ever goalscorer make him more of a great than Gary Lineker? I’d say it isn’t even close.
10 min: “I think that Rooney went out at the right time,” says Griffin O’Neill. “He’s on a general high because his good Everton form, and he’s the England all time high scorer. I like the decision.”
9 min: Said meets a cross from Gentzoglu on the right, but his header’s harmless.
7 min: Wayne Rooney: discuss.
5 min: A scare for Everton as Said scampers through and goes down under a rash challenge from the sprawling Pickford. But the flag’s up for offside.
4 min: Sigurdsson has another set-piece opportunity as Everton win a free-kick on the right. But pushing in the middle sees Split get a free-kick of their own.
3 min: If you’re wondering why this MBM started so late, I just got home from a chat with Split native Slaven Bilic, who was in gregarious form at West Ham’s training ground.
2 min: Sigurdsson’s inswinger’s punched away by Stipica.
And we’re off! A night after Liverpool’s riproaring advance into the Champions League group stage, Everton look to make sure Merseyside’s other team makes it into the Europa League. They get the ball rolling and, kicking from left to right in their black away strip, immediately win a corner on the left.
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While it’s three days since Everton drew a tough game at Manchester City, Ronald Koeman isn’t taking any chances this evening. They lead 2-0 from the first leg at Goodison Park, but Hajduk Split had enough of a threat to suggest this tie isn’t over yet. Wayne Rooney starts again, a day after announcing his international retirement, and £45m signing Gylfi Sigurdsson is there too.
Jacob will be here shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy Dominic Fifield’s analysis of Wayne Ronney’s England career …
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