Everton v Dynamo Kiev: Mirallas eyes home comforts

Kevin Mirallas is out to give Everton a platform for progression when they host Dynamo Kiev in Thursday’s UEFA Europa League last-16 first leg.

A 4-1 first-leg advantage helped Everton past Young Boys in the previous round, with Roberto Martinez’s side boasting three home wins from four in Europe this term.

In contrast, Kiev have never won in England and have bad memories of Merseyside following their 2001-02 UEFA Champions League loss to Liverpool. 

Kiev were in hot water with UEFA recently for fan invasions against Guingamp in the previous round, as the governing body hit the Ukrainian side with a partial stadium ban.

Even with a reduced capacity, a hostile atmosphere is likely to await Everton next week – and Mirallas is eager to take the sting out of the tie at Goodison Park.

“It is very exciting because only the best teams are left in the competition now,” he told the club’s official website.

“Dynamo Kiev have good players but we play at Goodison first and that is good for the team. I watched the game against Guingamp and I know they have two or three very good players.

“The away game will be difficult because of the stadium and the atmosphere but the first game is at Goodison and that is the most important. 

“If you can win two or three-nil in the first leg, it makes it easier when you go away.”

Dynamo coach Sergei Rebrov, meanwhile, has helped improve fortunes in Kiev having replaced Oleg Blokhin last year and his side sit seven points clear in the Ukrainian top flight.

Rebrov – who is without suspended trio Andriy Yarmolenko, Sergiy Rybalka and Younes Belhanda – told ESPN: “I think and hope that now, the players respect each other.

“We have a lot of players from different nations and they needed to understand each other, and that they come from different backgrounds, cultures and styles of play.

“When you’re working hard, sometimes [success] comes. The players are working hard as a team, not as individuals. But you can’t stay in the same place. You have to keep working.”

Rebrov’s opposite number Martinez has doubts over the fitness of Leighton Baines (hip), Aiden McGeady (knee) and Steven Pienaar (knee).