Everton captain Leighton Baines’ 65th minute strike proved to be the solitary goal as the Toffees edged Slovakian side MFK Ruzemberok in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League third round qualifying tie at Goodison Park. 

Wayne Rooney’s return to his old stomping ground proved to be fruitless, but the veteran striker will be happy that his team managed to win without conceding a goal. 
Everton manager Ronald Koeman started Rooney as his central striker in a 4-3-3 system, with the former Manchester United man flanked by Kevin Mirallas and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. 

Unsurprisingly, there was no space for wantaway midfielder Ross Barkley, but summer signing Davy Klaasen started alongside Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Toffees were dominant from kick-off forcing Matus Macik into action early on when Dominik Kruzliak’s skewed clearance almost crept into the goal in the 8th minute. 

Gueye tried his luck from the edge of the box soon after but his shot was well wide and so was Rooney’s from a narrow angle in the 20th minute as Everton amped up the pressure and it looked inevitable that the home side would score sooner rather than later. 

The Slovakian side, third in their domestic league last season, had a half-chance of their own when Rooney was robbed off possession near the half-line but Takac Dalibor’s cross didn't trouble Maarten Steklenburg. 

Everton’s best chance of the first-half fell to Rooney after some good work by the young Calvert-Lewin, but the 31-year-old slipped as he shaped to shoot and Ruzemberok were off the hook for the moment. 
Koeman’s side continued to play bright football and had another chance when Klaassen made his way into the box but the Dutchman’s shot could only graze the side netting.

Ruzemberok were looking dangerous on the counter and Everton had Steklenburg to thank when the Dutch keeper made a one-handed save to deny Erik Daniel what would have been a priceless away goal. 

After Everton shelled out a hefty fee in the summer to sign Jordan Pickford from Sunderland, many were expecting the young shot-stopper to start. But Koeman’s decision to opt for Steklenburg suggests he will be playing the Dutchman in cup ties and Pickford will be his first-choice for the Premier League. 

After the interval, Everton were bright and Mirallas came close to breaking the deadlock early on but some gritty Ruzemberok denied him.

Considering Everton were struggling to put away their chances, their Slovakian opponents kept their hopes up of a stunning upset and came mighty close to scoring an opener. Jan Maslo’s header was tipped onto the bar by Steklenburg three minutes before the hour-mark to save Everton’s blushes. 

Sandro Ramirez was introduced soon after, with Koeman urging his side to find that one goal which would hand them an advantage going into next week’s leg. 
And finally the goal which Goodison Park crowd had been waiting for came, via a massive deflection. A headed clearance from a Mirallas corner came Baines’ way and the full-back let loose a volley which got a telling touch off a defender and left Macik with no chance. 

The Toffees continued to press for a second goal which would put them in a commanding position but were stymied by Macik, who made a stunning stop from a Mirallas shot in the 70th minute. 

A second goal would have put Koeman’s mind at ease, but as it stands, Everton put in a decent performance in their first competitive game of the season and will be confident of progressing into the next round after the second leg next week.