Ukraine’s Olympic Stadium was redeveloped only four years ago in preparation for the final of Euro 2012. On Wednesday, Everton trained on its running track rather than worsen the condition of a rain-soaked pitch before the Europa League return with Dynamo Kyiv. On Thursday, part of the stadium will be closed as punishment for the crowd trouble that marred the previous European fixture against Guingamp. The perfect setting, Roberto Martínez believes, for Everton to repair their season with a small slice of history.

Everton have reached the quarter-final of a European competition twice before, the 1971 European Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup 30 years ago en route to lifting the trophy in Rotterdam. To secure a hat-trick they must overcome an intimidating atmosphere in Kiev, an appalling surface and a Dynamo team not only unbeaten on home soil this season but representing a nation under siege. “Any success for Dynamo is success for the whole of Ukraine,” said the coach, Serhiy Rebrov, after the draw for the last-16 tie. “It’s a difficult time for our country. I’m always telling the players that football for some people is a brief breath of fresh air. I hope they understand that.”

Martínez’s motivation is purely within the confines of Everton’s reputation in Europe following a troubled domestic campaign. Back-to-back wins, commencing with last week’s 2-1 defeat of Dynamo at Goodison Park, have eased the pressure but the manager wants more tangible signs of progress.

It was he who raised the subject of past quarter-finals in response to a question about the Olympic Stadium pitch. “I think it is a shame for football in general that this surface is not a good one but I don’t think it will be an advantage to Kyiv. The pitch affects both teams and the way they want to play, from the back, means they need a good surface,” he said. “But what is true is that getting into the final eight of this competition would be an incredible achievement historically.

“It would only be the third time in our history, so we are all aware of the opportunity and that brings a real desire of performing well and when we do that we will enjoy our football. What we saw at the weekend [in the 3-0 defeat of Newcastle United] was a team back enjoying our football.”

Martínez added: “For an hour against Dynamo there was a real excitement in our play and that is what we are looking for here. It is not about feeling the responsibility of needing to get through, it is wanting to achieve something historic and special for us and make our fans proud in Europe, which is what we are doing.”

In keeping with the pre-match training regime, Martínez intends to leave nothing to chance in the second leg. Everton were dominant after a poor half hour last week against Ukraine’s unbeaten league leaders, who have won their last four European home games by two goals or more and maintained a seven-point lead over Shakhtar Donetsk with a 5-0 win over Illichivets Mariupol on Sunday.

The recovery at Goodison suggested it would be folly to attempt to protect a slender first-leg advantage in Kiev. Martínez, whose side are unbeaten in four European away games this season, wholeheartedly agrees. “We need to play the game in isolation,” said the Everton manager, who is without the injured Kevin Mirallas and the ineligible Aaron Lennon but may recall John Stones to the defence after his recovery from a virus. “I don’t think we should play the game as if it is a second leg of any knockout competition.

“Dynamo Kyiv are unbeaten at home, they are a very strong team with exceptional individuals. I thought we saw at Goodison that players like [Andriy] Yarmolenko, [Miguel] Veloso and [Vitorino] Antunes have real good experience. We want to play the way we have been playing in Europe away from home and make sure that for 80 minutes we try to win the game. Then, for the last 10 minutes if you want to keep the scoreline in mind, it is a bit different.

“ We would never come out trying to protect the lead. We will try to be ourselves. There are no other British teams left in this competition, which shows how difficult it is to progress this far, and we are looking forward to going as far as we can in Europe.”

Meanwhile, the club’s involvement in Europe has extended off the pitch in Kiev. Everton in the Community coaches are giving a training session for 75 disadvantaged local children on the day of the game and the club have given match tickets to 18 people helped by the Children of Chernobyl Lifeline charity.