PARIS (AFP) - English Premiership highflyers Everton took a giant step towards the last 16 of the UEFA Cup on Wednesday with a club record sixth successive European win as they eased past Norwegian champions SK Brann 2-0 in Norway.

There was not such good news for former Everton manager Walter Smith, whose Scottish Premier League winners Rangers stumbled to a 0-0 home draw against Greek league leaders Panathinaikos in Glasgow and were booed off the pitch.

Elsewhere French teams enjoyed mixed fortunes as 1993 European Cup winners Marseille produced a fine second-half display scoring three times to beat Spartak Moscow 3-0 while Bordeaux were beaten 2-1 away at Anderlecht.

Marseille were the most impressive winners on the night along with German side Werder Bremen, who walloped Portuguese side Sporting Braga 3-0 - Bremen's Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen can be optimistic about progressing after securing a 0-0 draw away at Galatasaray, never an easy place to get a result.

Everton's feat thanks to second-half goals by Leon Osman - a stunning rightfooted effort from outside the penalty area - and teenager Victor Anichebe, whose fourth goal of the campaign puts him one away from breaking the club record, is all the more creditable as it is better than even the great Toffees side of the 80's managed when they won the Cup Winners Cup.

However, Howard Kendall's side to be fair saw hopes of putting together a long running winning streak in Europe immediately dashed with the ban on English clubs following the Heysel Stadium tragedy.

Present Everton handler David Moyes was delighted with the result, even more so with the commitment shown by Nigerian international striker Ayegbeni Yakubu, who was dropped for last weekend's Premiership match because he was late back from the African Nations Cup.

"I am delighted with the way we turned this game round," said Moyes.

"In the first-half we were not going anywhere.

"Brann are a good side. They have won the Norwegian championship which means they saw off Rosenborg, so this win is a big and one to be proud of."

However, the canny Scot, who cut his managerial teeth at Preston, refused to accept that a place in the last 16 was all but assured.

"We need to show respect because Brann are as I said a good side and they will be coming looking for revenge."

Smith was also looking towards ensuring that Rangers make it through after the second leg but unlike Moyes his side will have to improve vastly.

However, Smith - who left the Scotland national side along with assistant Ally McCoist midway through their Euro 2008 qualifiers - refused to blame Spanish forward Nacho Novo for missing a host of opportunities.

"Like all forwards you sometimes go through situations where the goals go in and sometimes they don't," said Smith, who bemusingly left top scorer Kris Boyd on the bench and sent on wantaway striker Daniel Cousin in the second-half.

"Against Panathinaikos Nacho wasn't able to score but he's scored a number of vital goals for us this season.

"Unfortunately it just wasn't his night on Wednesday."

Marseille like Everton left it to the second-half to ease away from their opponents and made their no-nonsense coach Eric Gerets a happy man as he prepares to march on Moscow next Thursday.

"That was a lot better!" gushed Gerets about the second-half.

"If we were not happy with the result it would be unfair on the players.

"We're in a good position but you never know," added the former Belgian national captain, who was part of the Belgium team that reached the 1986 World Cup semi-finals.