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Everton v Hajduk Split Betting: Defences likely to dominate at Goodison Park

Everton will be aiming put themselves on course for a place in the Europa League group stages when they welcome Hajduk Split to Goodison Park for Thursday's first leg qualifier.

Having opened the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday, the Toffees are clear 4/17 (1.24) favourites with SportPesa to take the upper hand in this tie by coming out on top once again.

Joan Carrillo's team have not made it past the play-off round of this competition since 2010 but are on offer at 12/1 (13.00) to put one foot in the group stages with a shock victory here.

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Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring for Everton v StokeGetty Images

The guests drew 0-0 with Brondby in their last European away game, and you can get odds of 17/4 (5.25) on them grinding out another stalemate in this one.

Despite adding the exciting attacking talents of Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Saturday's match-winner Wayne Rooney to the squad this summer, the 1-0 victory over Stoke means that Ronald Koeman's men have won each of their first three competitive matches by a single goal to nil this season.

Although expected to ease to victory in the last round against Slovakian minnows Ruzomberok, Koeman's new-look team only managed a one goal in each leg to run out 2-0 aggregate winners.

GFX FACT EVERTON V HADJUK SPLITGOAL

While fans will clearly be hoping to see more action in front of goal on Thursday, the Dutch manager would probably content himself with the same again if it means heading to Croatia with a lead to defend and no away goal to make up.

Indeed, it seems unlikely that the home crowd will be treated to a deluge of goals considering their opponents have conceded just once in four Europa League matches so far this campaign.

Having scored just four times at the other end of the pitch in that four-game period, odds of 11/10 (2.10) offer solid value on the Whites ensuring Everton see under 2.5 goals for the fourth consecutive competitive match this campaign.

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