Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Everton and Dynamo Kiev in the last 16 of the Europa League.

If someone said to you at the start of the season that Everton would be the only English team to progress through a two-legged tie in Europe this campaign, you would have probably laughed at them, but there's a very realistic chance of that materialising. With Chelsea out of the Champions League, Manchester City and Arsenal facing an uphill task, and Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur eliminated from the Europa League, it could be down to the Toffees to restore a bit of pride for the Premier League during the remainder of the season.

Everton face a difficult task in overcoming the Ukrainian giants over a two-legged tie, but Roberto Martinez's team deserves huge amounts of credit for overcoming the likes of Wolfsburg, Lille and Young Boys to get to this stage. Those scalps will give the Merseyside outfit confidence ahead of tonight but the margin for error is considerably smaller against a team of Kiev's calibre and location.

Right then, without further ado, let's take a look at the two starting lineups.

EVERTON XI: Howard, Garbutt, Jagielka, Alcaraz, Coleman, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Naismith, Lukaku

EVERTON SUBSTITUTES: Joel, Gibson, Kone, Besic, Atsu, Osman, Browning

DYNAMO KIEV XI: Shovskovskiy, Danilo Silva, Veloso, Antunes, Dragovic, Yarmolenko, Sydorchuk, Gusev, Vida, Buyalskiy, Mbokani

DYNAMO KIEV SUBSTITUTES: Rybka, Garmash, Kravets, Chumak, Khacheridi, Kalitvintsev, Teordorczyk

Martinez has made three changes to his starting lineup for tonight's game. Antolin Alcaraz, Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas have all being drafted into the starting lineup in place of John Stones, Darron Gibson and Aaron Lennon.

As for Kiev, coach Sergei Rebrov has made four alterations from his team's last outing, with Oleksander Shovkovski, Aleksandar Dragovic, Oleh Gusev and Miguel Veloso all coming into the side.

I've touched upon Everton's route to the last 16, but what about Kiev? In truth, they were handed a relatively easy group after being paired with Aalborg, Steaua Bucuresti and Rio Ave, but a return of five wins from six games was still impressive. They continued that form with a comeback triumph over Guingamp in the last 32, that after being 2-1 down after the first leg in France. Their form on the road will perhaps give Everton a boost tonight, with just wins and two defeats coming from their four fixtures.

Kiev don't possess the likes of Rebrov and Andriy Shevchenko in their lineup these days but they still have a pretty formidable side. Andriy Yarmolenko, who is constantly linked with a move to the Premier League, is expected to be the biggest danger, while Dieumerci Mbokani can be lethal if provided with opportunities instead the penalty area.

PREDICTION! Both of Everton's matches with Young Boys were free-scoring affairs but this contest should be much tighter. Everton can't afford to travel to the Ukraine for the second leg any worse than a low-scoring draw, but if the likes of Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku can rediscover their best form, the Toffees are capable of edging to a narrow win. Everton 2-1.

Before the two teams head out, it should be noted that Kiev are unbeaten in their first 16 league games in the Ukraine for the loss of just seven goals. The Ukrainian Premier League might not be as strong as the English version, but that's a daunting record for Everton to try to overcome.

The players are out on the pitch at Goodison Park. We will be underway in just a couple of moments.

Everton get the game started on Merseyside.

The visitors have dominated possession of the ball since kickoff and a patient buildup ends with Vitorino Antunes whipped a terrific ball into the penalty area. Fortunately for Everton, Tim Howard is able to punch clear and out of danger.

Everton feed a nice ball into the feet of Romelu Lukaku around 30 yards out, who in turn finds James McCarthy, but the Irishman is quickly dispossessed by the Kiev backline. Still, that was better from the home team.

Seamus Coleman wins a corner for Everton on the right-hand side of the pitch, but the corner is a bit of a shocker and the ball is easily cleared. Everton need to capitalise on moments like that.

Seamus Coleman wins a corner for Everton on the right-hand side of the pitch, but the corner is a bit of a shocker and the ball is easily cleared. Everton need to capitalise on moments like that.

Some of the home supporters are getting restless with their side's lack of urgency to get the ball forward, but that's doesn't seem like such a bad tactic at this stage. Everton need to establish a foothold in this game before trying to gather a head of steam in the final third.

That's not what Everton needed. An inswinging corner from the right was whipped into the near post where Oleh Gusev was on hand to flick the ball inside Tim Howard's near post from six yards. It's a fine finish but poor marking from Everton. They've already got their backs against the wall here.

That goal hasn't gone down well with the Goodison faithful, but they need to stick with their side. Kiev have been fantastic so far, and everyone needs to be pushing in the right direction.

Looking back at the goal, it was Ross Barkley who let his man get free inside the penalty area. The youngster is tipped to have a big future but since the World Cup, we've rarely seen the all-round game that earned him a place on the plane to Brazil.

More pressure from Kiev, which again starts from a wide position, Everton could only clear to the edge of the penalty area but Serhiy Sydorchuk's first-time effort from 25 yards went high into the stands after pressure from James McCarthy.

I don't think Everton have managed a shot on goal yet. It hasn't been one-way traffic by any means, but that's how difficult Everton have found it to make any headway in the final third.

Everton's fans really aren't helping the cause here. The players are being heckled if they take more than a couple of touches on the halfway line, and they now look scared to make a mistake.

We are now half-hour through this first leg, and we've pretty much discovered what we already knew - Kiev are a good side. They could be more goals to the good - Dieumerci Mbokani has just scuffed a chance inside the penalty area - but they will be more than happy with their 1-0 advantage.

SAVE! Serhiy Sydorchuk has already shown this evening that he isn't afraid to shoot from distance, and his second attempt has almost brought him a goal, but Tim Howard was well placed to tip his low strike wide of the target.

CHANCE! Everton have created nothing this half but they have just wasted a glorious chance to level the score. Goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi made a hash of moping up a clearance around 45 yards from goal and the ball fell invitingly for Romelu Lukaku. However, the striker miscued his shot several yards wide of the target.

CHANCES! Much, much better from Everton! After a Lukaku free kick is tipped over the crossbar, the resulting corner found Phil Jagielka, who saw his powerful header well cleared off the line by a defender. Encouraging.

Now we have a game! Lukaku shows immense strength to hold off challenge after challenge while maintaining his composure to play the ball into the path of Steven Naismith, who took his time before sliding the ball past Oleksandr Shovkovskyi from 12 yards. They might not deserve it, but it's an excellent equaliser.

Kiev has provided a positive response since the goal, but Everton look intent on continuing to push forward for a second before the break. They might be well advised to just get to half time on level terms. They don't want to give up this fightback.

The referee adds no injury time on at the end of the first half and we go into the break at 1-1. For 35 minutes of this game, Kiev denied Everton any sort of a sniff inside the final third, but out of nowhere, Everton ended the opening 45 minutes on top and they will have the momentum at the start of the second half.

Rather surprisingly, Everton have had 57% of possession during the first 45 minutes - I would have predicted that it was the other way around. Kiev created six chances to Everton's five, but it was Everton who had the most corners at 4 to 2. The only booking of the half went to Kevin Mirallas.

If you're Roberto Martinez, what do you tell your side to do? They are in a predicament where they risk being caught on the count and face an uphill struggle to qualify if they plough forward looking for a second, which the crowd would want, but a 1-1 draw would just about be acceptable heading into the second leg. The bottom line is they can't afford to lose this game or give Kiev the advantage of having two away goals.

Kiev get us back underway at Goodison Park.

Well the answer to that earlier question is to push forward for a second. Everton have started this second half at a frenetic pace and a well-worked move ends with Antolin Alcaraz, of all people, drilling a 30-yard strike on target that Oleksandr Shovkovskyi deals with at the second opportunity.

CHANCE! A corner from Luke Garbutt is right on the money and finds Steven Naismith in the penalty area, but his glancing header goes a couple of yards wide of the far post. He should have at least found the target there.

Kevin Mirallas wins a free kick on the side of the penalty area, but it's look a little like a dive. He's already been booked so he is fortunate. The delivery from Luke Garbutt is superb but Oleksandr Shovkovskyi does well to punch the ball clear.

Where was this performance in the opening half hour? The pressure from Everton is relentless and Kiev are dropping deeper and deeper into their own half.

Unlike the first half, each of Everton's players look like they want to be in possession of the ball. Earlier, they looked hesitant when looking for their next pass. More pressures leads to Ross Barkley having two shots blocked and Lukaku seeing a cross well defended. It remains all Everton.

Finally, Dynamo Kiev mount some some of threat on the Everton goal, and they come close to nicking a second. After a couple of high balls weren't cleared, Dieumerci Mbokani got above the Toffees defence to head on goal but it just went above the top corner. Good effort though.

SUBSTITUTION! This is an interesting one. Arouna Kone has been introduced in place of Kevin Mirallas.

CHANCES! This is a brilliant second half. Moments after Kone forced a save out of the goalkeeper with a header, Gareth Barry was provided with an opening inside the penalty area but his feet didn't work as fast as his brain and the ball was directed well wide of the target.

CHANCE! Back come Kiev through Denys Garmash, who bides his time before playing the ball to Andriy Yarmolenko, but after deceiving the defender, the winger's left-footed strike cleared the crossbar. He would have expected to have done better with that.

CHANCE! Lukaku hasn't had too many sights of goal in this second half, but he works an opening for himself on the left-hand side of the penalty area before driving the ball towards the near post, where Oleksandr Shovkovskyi is waiting to make the save.

SUBSTITUTION! Martinez makes his second substitution of the evening, bringing on Leon Osman for Ross Barkley.

We are well into the final 15 minutes of this contest and it's still too close to call. Both sides would be relatively content with this scoreline, but neither are letting up in their search for a second goal.

Everton finally get the goal that their second-half performances has deserved. After Danilo Silva was adjudged to have handled inside the penalty area after sliding in to block a Leon Osman cross, Romelu Lukaku converted the spot kick, albeit fortuitously off the leg of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. The Belgian won't care though!

Despite taking the lead, Everton are still pushing for a third. They are really putting everything into this first leg, but they need to find a balance. 2-1 is an excellent score to take to the Ukraine. 2-2 isn't...

CHANCE! Lukaku is putting in a real shift for his side and he almost creates a third goal. A cross from the right is glanced towards goal by Leon Osman but the ball just evaded the far post and a final touch from Steven Naismith. So close.

There will be three minutes of added-on time.

Arouna Kone has two chances to create something inside the area but he fails to make the right choice on either occasion. More pressure from Everton.

The final whistle goes at Goodison Park and Everton have earned a excellent 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev. Roberto Martinez would have rather not conceded an away goal, but 2-1 is a scoreline that he would have taken at the start of the night and it gives the Toffees a chance in the second leg in Ukraine.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this game but we hope that you can stick around and get up-to-date with all of the other action that has taken place in the Europa League this evening. Goodbye for now.