IT’S a night Evertonians are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
With 11 players sidelined amid a nightmare injury crisis, David Moyes’ young, inexperienced side were led by like lambs to the slaughter.
Benfica were ruthless and inflicted a 5-0 thrashing in the group stage of the Europa League. It was the biggest European defeat in Everton’s proud history.
Four months on and Everton returned to the Portuguese capital yesterday on a mission to show their true colours against Benfica’s city rivals Sporting.
Skipper Phil Neville, who was one of those forced to sit and watch the agony unfold back in October, admits the memories came flooding back on their arrival.
Same city, same hotel but this time he’s confident there will be a very different feeling when they depart.
“We all remember that night,” Neville said. “Myself, Jags and Arteta all travelled out to watch the game.
“For 45 minutes we did well and at half-time we were still in the game but then the roof caved in. Bang, we lost a bit of concentration and were 5-0 down. It looked a bit of a mauling and it was a valuable lesson of what can happen in Europe when you switch off.
“We were embarrassed. The team that was sent out last time wasn’t our strongest and there was a lot of inexperience. But it was a great learning curve for them.
“This is a totally different side and one which can compete with the best teams in Europe like we saw at the weekend and against Chelsea.
“Lisbon and Portugal didn’t see the best of Everton before but they will this time. This time they will see a more solid side with quality.”
Goals from Steven Pienaar and Sylvain Distin put Everton seemingly in control of last week’s first leg at Goodison but Miguel Veloso’s late penalty after Distin’s dismissal changed the complexion of the tie.
Neville believes it was a reminder just how crucial it is to keep focused throughout. However, the 33-year-old insists there will be no talk of trying to merely hold on to their narrow advantage tonight.
“When you think that everything is okay, that’s when you get kicked in the privates,” he added. “And that’s what happened in the home leg with Sporting last week.
“We were playing in first or second gear and probably thinking about the game against Manchester United on the Saturday.
“And, bang, we make an error. It’s a penalty and suddenly the tie is up in the air. It shows you that the minute you switch off in Europe, the minute you think that everything is okay, you get punished because the opposition is so good.
“It’s important that we’re positive over here and that we score the first goal. If you sit back in Europe you get punished. We know that we need to score.
“But we know from our European experience that an away goal kills a team. We’re quite suited to counter attack. We’ve got players who like playing away from home and it’s a great occasion and a good stage for us to keep progressing as a team.
“We’ve been in the UEFA Cup and Europa League for three or four years now and we are gaining in European experience. Going away to BATE and then Athens shows that we know how to win games in Europe.”
Impressive recent triumphs over Chelsea and Manchester United have boosted hopes that Everton can qualify for Europe again next season courtesy of a storming finish to their league campaign.
However, Neville’s priority is ensuring the current European adventure lasts as long as possible. With confidence sky high, a vociferous crowd at the Estadio Jose Alvalade holds no fears for the captain and his team-mates.
