When your opposing manager claims that he needs “the miracle of a lifetime” and that “to believe in qualifying is pointless”, it is easy to be sucked into a sense of security, false or otherwise, but David Moyes, the Everton manager, will not allow himself or his players to be swayed by the defeatist noises emanating from the Brann camp as they look to finish off the job at Goodison Park tonight.

With a 2-0 lead from the first leg in Norway, Everton already have one foot in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup, but, while Mons Ivar Mjelde, the Brann coach, has already waved the white flag of surrender, Moyes has given warning against complacency. If Everton supporters might gleefully point to Liverpool’s FA Cup defeat by Barnsley last weekend for evidence of that, Moyes has urged his players to look closer to home and to their own Cup third-round embarrassment by Oldham Athletic at Goodison Park last month, in which they lost 1-0.

“A lot of the cup results this season have been a wake-up call to a lot of people,” Moyes said. “Maybe sometimes you think you can go into games and win when not at your full effort. We found out against Oldham to our cost that you have to be at your best to win the game. We have to be totally focused on every game we are in, whether we are 2-0 up or 2-0 down.”

Moyes might be tempted to leave one or two of his senior players in reserve, but, with their next game, away to Manchester City, not until Monday evening, he emphasised that he would be picking a team “to beat Brann”.

That side may not include Mikel Arteta, who is just back in full training after a groin injury, while older players such as Lee Carsley, Arteta’s fellow midfield player, may be rested, but, as Moyes put it, “The whole squad now is what you would call first-team players.” Victor Anichebe, the 19-year-old forward, will want to prove that he fits the description if selected.

These are exciting times at Goodison Park; Everton are in fourth place in the Barclays Premier League and in the later stages of a European competition for the first time since their Cup Winners’ Cup success in 1985, but Moyes wants something tangible to show for their progress at the end of the season.

“We have to try and get into the next round of the Uefa Cup,” the Everton manager said. “Will it be an achievement to get through? It’ll be great to get through, but you don’t win anything for getting into the last 16. We have to keep going and make sure what we’ve done so far hasn’t been for nothing. I can’t answer if we are the real deal yet. We won’t know that until the end of the season.”

Everton (possible; 4-4-2): T Howard – A Hibbert, J Yobo, J Lescott, N Valente – S Pienaar, T Cahill, P Neville, L Osman – A Johnson, V Anichebe.

Brann (possible; 4-4-2): H Opdal – B Dahl, O Bjarnason, K Sigurdsson, E Hanstveit – J G Solli, H El Fakiri, E Bakke, P Vaagan Moen – T Helstad, A Karadas.

Referee: N Ivanov (Russia).

Television: Live on Five from 7.30pm (kick-off 8pm).