Everton have concluded their pre-season campaign with a 2-2 draw against La Liga side Sevilla.
Summer signing Sandro Ramirez put the Blues in front with just 34 seconds on the clock, but a second-half brace from Ever Banega turned the friendly on its heads.
Despite the Spaniards dominating for lengthy spells, Everton salvaged a draw thanks to a late penalty kick from Kevin Mirallas.
Find out how the action unfolded with or minute-by-minute text commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text coverage of the friendly between Everton and Sevilla, a match which marks the 125th anniversary of the Toffees' home stadium, the famous Goodison Park. The game also serves as a final warm-up contest for Roland Koeman's side ahead of the new season. Team news incoming...
Everton XI: Pickford, Schneiderlin, Baines, Keane, Jagielka, Sandro, Rooney, Klaassen, Davies, Calvert-Lewin, Holgate
Sevilla XI: Soria, Mercado, Pareja, Lenglet, Escudero, Pizarro, N'Zonzi, Banega, Montoya, Correa, Ben Yedder
And here's the home side's formation and substitutes....
📋 | Today's team to face @SevillaFC...#EFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/DzdVPnbp4z
— Everton (@Everton) August 6, 2017
So Everton boss Ronald Koeman has named a strong starting XI today, with only two changes from the 1-0 win away to Ruzomberok in Europa League qualifying. Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been drafted in, replacing Idrissa Gana Gueye and Ashley Williams.
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Holgate comes in a right-back while Calvert-Lewin plays on the right in an advanced midfield role alongside Rooney and Klaassen. This allows youngster Tom Davies to shift to a more familiar central midfield role, while Spanish striker Sandro heads up the attack.
Sevilla, who were in action against Everton's fellow Premier Leaguers Southampton yesterday, have also named a strong lineup full of familiar faces. Jesus Navas, formerly of Manchester City, makes the squad, along with Nolito, Stephen N'Zonzi, Luis Muriel and Ever Banega.
Since this match marks a major anniversary for Goodison, the ground Everton are in the process of leaving, the Blues will play in a special commemorative kit. Retro!
🙌 Our special commemorative kit! 🙌
The full retro kit will be worn today against @SevillaFC.
Full #GP125 range ➡️ https://t.co/EUUBwEFXL4 pic.twitter.com/i32vAVmaLT — Everton (@Everton) August 6, 2017
The Spaniards are certain to prove stern opposition for Koeman's men, having finished fourth in La Liga last season. They love playing abroad too, having won five UEFA Cup/Europa League titles in the past 11 years.
Everton, of course, have already played competitively this season, having defeated Slovakian outfit Ruzomberok 2-0 over two legs in Europa League qualifying. This is one of two friendly fixtures Sevilla have lined up before their European campaign begins with a trip to Istanbul Basaksehir the week after next.
It's a good turnout and a celebratory atmosphere here at Goodison Park. Kickoff is just moments away...
KICK OFF! Everton get the match underway, kicking from right to left in the first half.
GOAL! Everton 1-0 Sevilla (Sandro Ramirez)
Amazing stuff! Everton take the lead right from kick off. Jordan Pickford hoists the ball long towards Tom Davies in the final third. The midfielder lays it on for Sandro, sending him one-on-one with Soria in the Sevilla goal. He keeps his cool, rounds the keeper and fires Everton in front before the opposition have even touched the ball.
No action at either end to report since Everton took the lead through that Sandro strike. The striker reacted quickly to steal a yard on the Sevilla back line and showed good instincts to guide the ball into the net. He looks like a great summer addition to the Toffees' squad.
Pizarro goes in really late on Mason Holgate and poleaxes the young defender. The Peruvian should have picked up a booking for that - not the kind of tackle we want to see in any game, let alone a friendly.
Pickford is called into action for the first time as Ben Yedder gains possession inside the box and unleashes a low strike. The Sevilla man fails to get any power behind it, allowing the Everton goalkeeper to smother the ball without too much difficulty.
BOOKINGS! There's a booking apiece for Banega of Sevilla and Everton's Davey Klaassen. The latter was tripped by the Dutchman and responded angrily before racing over to the referee to demand he gets his card out. This may be a friendly, but you wouldn't know it!
Banega takes a free kick quickly, threading a pass through towards Ben Yedder, but Jagielka anticipates the move, makes the interception and scrambles the ball clear. Sevilla almost caught out Everton there, but the veteran defender came to their rescue.
They're taking no prisoners today! Holgate goes in hard on Escudero and sends the Spaniard clattering to the ground. He was late with his challenge, having been wrong-footed by his opponent's outstanding first touch. Free kick just outside the box for the visitors.
Sevilla have started to settle after their disastrous start. There's a good midfield battle going on between Joaquin Correa and Davey Klaassen, which is being fought with the kind of venom usually reserved for competitive fixtures, while Ever Banega and Steven N'Zonzi have been getting forward at every opportunity.
Here's that Sandro goal which came with just 34 seconds on the clock. Superb distribution from Pickford in the Everton goal and an ice-cool finish from the Spanish striker...
👏 | Well played, @sandroramirez9! #EFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/NDEm656C8B — Everton (@Everton) August 6, 2017
PENALTY APPEAL! Everton appeal for a penalty after Tom Davies cuts into the penalty area from wide on the left. He takes on Pizarro, who sticks a leg out and trips the youngster. It should have been a penalty, but there's controversy as referee Mike Jones makes the wrong call and books Davies for diving instead.
OFF THE LINE! Good defending by Leighton Baines preserves Everton's lead. Sevilla break along the left channel through Correa, who finds a way past Holgate and plays a square pass towards the six-yard box. Yedder latches onto it and lets fly, beating Pickford but not Baines on the line.
SAVE! Sevilla come forward again through Yedder, who exploits a gap in the Blues defence and gets a sight at goal. Pickford does well, saving to his right, but he can't hold onto it. Fortunately for Everton, the rebound deflects behind off Jagielka for a corner, which the visitors squander.
Yedder shoots from 20 yards out, but his effort is straight at Pickford, who gets a solid grip on the ball. The former Sunderland goalkeeper is looking like a safe pair of hands this afternoon and his distribution has been excellent. What more do you want from your man between the sticks?
Sevilla are beginning to dominate now. Yedder is looking like a live wire and the Spaniards have made it clear that they're here to play fast-paced, attacking football. Everton are struggling to get any service up to Sandro. Rooney and Calvert-Lewin haven't really been in the game so far.
Sandro shows great skill inside the penalty area, dancing away from his marker to set up a half-chance for the Blues. He plays a lofted pass towards the near post, but Pizarro meets it with a diving head to avert the danger. There were no Everton players in the box to apply pressure, but good play from Sandro nonetheless.
There's a shooting opportunity for Montoya, who spots Pickford off his line from 25 yards out. He gets plenty of power behind his bending effort, but it goes high and wide, and ends up in the stand.
Sevilla are floating some crosses into the Everton box now, to test the Toffees in the air. Correa swings in a good cross from wide on the right with Yedder looming large, but Holgate's headed clearance his just enough to snuff out the danger.
HALF TIME: Everton 1-0 Sevilla
Everton lead Sevilla 1-0 at the halfway point of this pre-season friendly at Goodison Park courtesy of an early goal from Sandro Ramirez. It's been a gritty contest that Sevilla began to dominate after finding their rhythm, but they have work to do in the second half.
The Blues could do with firming things up between their defence and midfield, so don't be surpised to see them deploy Gueye in the second period as an anchor man. The Spaniards were attacking in waves towards the end of the first half, and the hosts need to deal with that.
Plenty of positives for Koeman's men ahead of their Premier League opener against Stoke City next weekend, including the form of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the instincts of Sandro, who fired them ahead with just 34 seconds on the clock today.
KICK OFF! We're back underway at Goodison Park!
Everton have made a handful of subs at the break, giving some pre-season gametime to Mirallas, Barry, Williams and Martina. Sevilla have also thrown on a couple of big guns in Nolito and Krohn-Dehli.
SAVE! Pickford makes a great reaction save to keep out Luis Muriel, whose close-range strike is met with a fingertip save from the former Sunderland stopper, via a deflection off Keane. He looks absolutely determined to keep a clean sheet this afternoon.
Muriel, a summer arrival from Sampdoria, has been lively since he entered the field of play. He had another pop at goal just a moment ago, winning the visitors a corner via a big deflection off Keane. Sevilla can't do anything with the set piece, but they are getting closer.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Sevilla (Ever Banega)
The inevitable has happened at Goodison Park. After living dangerously for much of the game, Everton have conceded, and it's Ever Banega who's done the damage. The Argentine was given too much space around the six-yard box, and he took the opportunity with both hands, firing low into the bottom corner to level the match.
PENALTY TO SEVILLA! Nolito is brought down - clearly outside of the box - but the referee points to the spot regardless. Another poor call from the official...
GOAL! Everton 1-2 Sevilla (Ever Banega, pen)
Banega sends Pickford the wrong way to put Sevilla in front for the first time this afternoon. The penalty may have been the result of a bad call from the referee, but none can dispute that the Spaniards deserve their lead. Everton can't keep hold of the ball at the moment.
Everton show some ambition in the final third for the first time in the second half as Kevin Mirallas wins a free kick in a dangerous position. He shoots from 27 yards out, but his effort cannons against the wall.
The Blues will be glad to see the back of Banega, who goes off to applause from the visiting supporters. The ball-playing midfielder has dominated possession in the centre of the park and has twice punished the hosts with a pair of goals, one coming from the spot.
A neat team move involving Mirallas, Sandro and Martina carves out a chance for Everton. The Spaniard squares a pass to Gueye on the edge of the box and the Senegal international, not usually known for his goalscoring prowess, takes a touch and lets fly, skewing his effort wide. That wasn't even close, but it's positive to see the Toffees moving forward in numbers and making the opposition work.
The revolving door of substitutions continues as Kenny, Besic and Lookman enter the fray for Everton. They've got just over 15 minutes to stake a late claim for a place in the squad for next weekend's Premier League opener against Stoke City.
BOOKING! An awful challenge from Besic sends Nolito reeling. The Spaniard makes a meal of it, but the Bosnian was late with his slide tackle and deserved the yellow card.
Escudero clips a shot across the face of the Everton goal, but it ends up closer to the corner flag than the back of the net. At the other end, a dangerous cross from Mirallas on the left is claimed by Sevilla keeper Soria, who races off his line and makes a confident catch.
PENALTY TO EVERTON! The Blues win a penalty after a deft turn from Mirallas inside the box forces his marker to bring him down...
GOAL! Everton 2-2 Sevilla (Kevin Mirallas, pen)
It's a poor penalty from Mirallas, but they all count. The Belgian places the ball to Soria's right and doesn't get a great deal of power behind it, though just enough to send it past the Sevilla goalkeeper for 2-2. It's game on with less than 10 minutes remaining at Goodison Park.
CLOSE! Everton have been second best for most of this game, but they almost took the lead there! Martina releases Mirallas along the right channel and the Belgian international runs at the Sevilla defence, turns inside the area and lets fly, his effort zipping just wide of the far post!
CLOSE! Sevilla come close right at the death, with Navas striking the woodwork with a header from Krohn-Dehli's cross, before Pickford is called into action on the follow-up by the Dane. Good goalkeeping, but Everton are living dangerously again.
SAVE! This contest has come alive in the closing stages, and substitute Lookman is the latest to try his luck for Everton, letting fly from 20 yards with an absolute stinger! Soria turns it behind for a corner, which Williams gets his head to and has a late effort blocked on the line!
FULL TIME: Everton 2-2 Sevilla
Everton cap off their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against La Liga side Sevilla at Goodison Park. Sandro fired them ahead inside the first minute, but a brace from Ever Banega in the second half turned the match on its head. However, Kevin Mirallas made sure the Toffees had the final say by levelling things up from the penalty spot late on.
Next up for Everton is their Premier League opener against Stoke City at Goodison Park. That's all we have time for today, but join us next weekend for live coverage of the Blues' first league fixture of 2017-18. Many thanks for reading!
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
