AEK Athens 0 - 1 Everton

Jo fights for the ball with Geraldo in the Athens rain

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's early goal was enough to give Everton a vital 1-0 victory over AEK Athens which sealed a place in the last 32 of the Europa League for David Moyes' team.

Bilyaletdinov raced on to Jo's brilliant throughball to slot past AEK goalkeeper Sebastian Saja with aplomb after just six minutes and the Russian midfielder's goal proved the difference on a rain-soaked evening at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.

The result, combined with Group I leaders Benfica's 2-1 win over BATE Borisov, means the Toffees have qualified for the knockout stage as section runners-up with a game to spare.

It remains to be seen at what cost Everton's return to winning ways after just one victory in 11 previous games has come at, however, as defenders Dan Gosling and Sylvain Distin, along with Jo, were all forced off due to injuries.

A heavy downpour just before kick-off meant the already fragile pitch deteriorated further and surface water troubled both teams as the rain continued to fall throughout the first half.