Like John Heitinga, Neill – who was introduced to the Goodison crowd at half-time as “the man who once turned down Liverpool ” – is ineligible for European duty until the New Year, and with Neville out until Christmas and Tony Hibbert suspended, Moyes was left with few options at right-back last night.
The manager again turned to Dan Gosling, who had deputised for Hibbert after his early sending-off in the Czech Republic last month, and the 19-year-old demonstrated his versatility with a tidy display.
Central to this victory was another towering performance from Jack Rodwell.
The teenager was one of very few positives to emerge from the weekend defeat at Craven Cottage, and here he excelled, showing maturity beyond his years to dominate midfield in an anchorman role.
Everton had not lost in three previous meetings with Greek opposition and there was never any chance of that record being threatened after they forged ahead with two goals in the opening 17 minutes.
Pienaar’s run and shot forced AEK goalkeeper Sebastian Saja to turn the ball behind for a corner, from which Bilyaletdinov’s deep delivery to the far post was met by the criminally unmarked Yobo – captain for the evening in Neville’s absence – to head home.
Seven minutes later came more of the same. This time, Bilyaletdinov’s outswinging corner from the left was helped goalwards by Marouane Fellaini and Distin stretched to force the ball past Saja.
It was the centre-back’s first goal since netting for Manchester City at Middlesbrough in March 2007.
Brazilian Jo, again given an opportunity in attack, headed over after Fellaini flicked on another Bilyaletdinov cross before being narrowly off target when reaching to nod a raking Distin long ball.
The goal of the game came eight minutes before the interval. Again Bilyaletdinov was involved, playing a square pass to Pienaar, but it was the South African who did the difficult part by arrowing a fantastic shot from 25 yards beyond the flailing left arm of Saja.
AEK were restricted to a few long-range pot-shots at Tim Howard, the nearest of which flew over from skipper Pantelis Kafes and Tamandani Nsaliwa.
And the Greek tragedy deepened 10 minutes after the break when right-back Araujo was deservedly dismissed for aiming an unwise boot into Distin’s nether regions. Ouch.
But the pain continued to be inflicted on the visitors, Rodwell and substitute Leon Osman coming close before Saha contrived to put a low Leighton Baines cross over the bar from inside the six-yard box. Jo showed his fellow striker how it was done eight minutes from time by turning and finishing from 10 yards, although Saha’s late dismissal left a bitter aftertaste to a sweet evening for Everton.
