Everton suffered their second consecutive defeat in pre-season by losing 4-3 to Real Betis on penalties in a Dresden Cup match at the DDV Stadion on Saturday afternoon.
Nothing could separate the two sides after 90 minutes with the game at 1-1, but Charly Musonda, who is on loan from Chelsea, was the difference for Betis from the spot.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman, who opted for a 4-4-2 formation, indicated that Gareth Barry may be a pivotal figure in his team next season as the midfielder orchestrated play from the middle of the park.
The Toffees earned the first corner of the game in the sixth minute when Mason Holgate, who whipped in a number of crosses into the box during the first half, forced the set piece, which was scrambled clear by Betis.
The breakthrough was made just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark when the ball deflected into the back of the net off Betis's Aissa Mandi.
It was poor goalkeeping from Antonio Adan as his attempt to punch the ball away was completely missed after Tom Cleverley delivered it into the box from the corner flag.
Bryan Oviedo came close to doubling Everton's lead two minutes later when he drilled a low strike towards the bottom corner, but his effort drifted wide.
Betis conceded as a result of poor defending from a set piece, and the same was true of Everton in the 23rd minute when German Pezzella got a tap-in after Joel Robles pushed the ball onto the post from a free kick.
Gus Poyet's side put some pressure on Everton's defence in the closing stages of the first half as Jonas Martin came close after latching on to a cross in the danger area, but his effort grazed the wrong side of the post.
Betis had more possession than Everton in the first 45 minutes, but Koeman's men had three attempts on goal, two more than their Spanish opponents.
It was a feisty contest, with the referee blowing up numerous times for fouls, but both teams managed to end the game with 11 men on the pitch.
In the second half, Koeman made a handful of changes as Barry, McCarthy and Romelu Lukaku, who had a frustrating match, made way for a group of the Toffees' younger members.
The game had a lengthy lull, with neither side posing regular threats. Joaquin came close from a set piece 25 yards out, though, but the ball rose over the crossbar.
Conor Grant impressed when he came on as he created two shots at goal, one of which was palmed away by Adan and the other slammed into the side-netting.
In the penalty shootout, the first three spot kicks were missed, but it was the Spanish side who eventually prevailed in Germany.
There was an injury concern for the Merseyside outfit in the final 15 minutes of normal time when Matthew Pennington was forced off the pitch with a hamstring problem, but the rest of Koeman's men ended the match unscathed.
Danielle Joynson
