Starting his first game after a 45 million pound ($57 million) transfer, Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from 45 meters to ensure Everton advanced to the Europa league group stage on Thursday.
Sigurdsson struck less than 15 seconds into the second half to bring Everton level on 1-1 at Hajduk Split and advance from the playoff round with a 3-1 victory on aggregate. The Iceland midfielder completed his move from Swansea last week.
AC Milan had a more comfortable evening to book its place in the 48-team group-stage draw on Friday in Monaco.
leading 6-0 from the first leg last week, Milan won 1-0 in Macedonia against Shkendija.
Former European champions had contrasting fortunes.
Marseille, the 1993 Champions league winner, beat Domzale 3-1 to advance 4-1 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade, the 1991 European champion, beat visiting Krasnodar 2-1 to advance having scored more goals away from home with the two-leg series tied at 4-4.
However, four-time European champion Ajax was ousted from both UEFA competitions in August.
Transferring to the Europa league playoffs after elimination in the Champions league third qualifying round, Ajax lost at Rosenborg 3-2 after a 1-0 loss in the home leg.
Coach Roberto Mancini avoided an early exit for his Zenit St. Petersburg team. The 2008 UEFA Cup winner needed extra time to beat Utrecht 2-0 and overturn a one-goal loss from the first leg.
Dynamo Kiev, which also moved across from the Champions league, advanced beating Maritimo 3-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
They are joined by lyon, which hosts the Final on May 16.
Europa groups announced
Seven-time European champion AC Milan's bid for a first Europa league title continues in a group with Austria Vienna, Croatian champion Rijeka and AEK Athens.
Milan returns to UEFA competitions after a three-year absence, and avoided long travel for Thursday games that lurk in the 48-team draw.
Arsenal, however, will go to Belarus to face BATE Borisov and also plays Cologne and Red Star Belgrade. Arsene Wenger's team last played in the second-tier competition in 2000 when it was UEFA Cup runner-up.
Tough groups included the pool of lyon, Everton, Atalanta and Apollon limassol, and top-seeded lazio with Nice, Zulte Waregem and Vitesse.
Zenit St. Petersburg, the 2008 UEFA Cup winner, was grouped with Real Sociedad, Rosenborg — which eliminated Ajax in the playoffs on Thursday — and Vardar of Macedonia. The top two teams in each group advance to a Round of 32 which includes eight third-place teams from Champions league groups.
Van Persie back in Dutch team
THE HAGUE: Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat recalled veteran striker Robin van Persie on Friday to his squad for crucial World Cup qualifiers against France and Bulgaria.
Fenerbahce forward Van Persie played the last of his 101 internationals in October 2015. The 34-year-old former Arsenal and Manchester United star is the Netherlands' all-time top scorer with 50 goals. "I still think he is one of the best strikers we have," Advocaat said as he announced his squad.
It remains to be seen if Van Persie is fit enough to play a full match, or if Advocaat will use him off the bench. "He can make a very important contribution to the Dutch team," the coach said.
Van Persie was one of six forwards included in the squad, with Memphis Depay of Olympique lyon and Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen.
The Dutch need Van Persie to start finding the net again. After six matches, the Netherlands is third in Group A, three points behind Sweden, which leads the group on goal difference from France. Only the winner is guaranteed a place at next year's World Cup in Russia.
Van Persie is part of a core of senior players in the 24-man squad that also includes captain Arjen Robben and midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
The Netherlands play France on Thursday in Saint-Denis and returns to Amsterdam to take on Bulgaria on Sept. 3. Failure to reach Russia would mean the three-time World Cup runner-up missing its second straight major tournament after it also did not qualify for last year's European Championship in France.
Villa gets Spain call-up
MADRID: David Villa has been called up by Spain for the first time since the 2014 World Cup, giving the country's record scorer a chance to add to his 59 international goals.
The 35-year-old New York City FC striker was included in a 26-man squad by Spain coach Julen lopetegui for the upcoming qualifiers against Italy and liechtenstein. He is the top scorer in Major league Soccer this season with 19 goals.