Last month they twice took Liverpool to the wire in a Champions League qualifier before going out of the competition in bitter, late, circumstances.
But when coach Laszlo Boloni brought his bright young side back to Liverpool for this UEFA Cup first-round first-leg clash Liege deservedly went away with a draw.
They will now believe they are favourites to reach the group stage when they take Everton back to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne stadium in a fortnight.
• Moyes bemoans defensive chaos
Liege were ahead early on through Dieumerci Mbokani, with Ayegbeni Yakubu grabbing an equaliser.
Joseph Yobo's own-goal put Liege ahead again before Segundo Castillo's 25-yarder ultimately forced the equaliser.
From then on Everton lived on their nerves and they will not relish their trip to Belgium.
Leon Osman was declared fit following a knee injury to take his place in Everton's midfield.
His inclusion was the only change from the side that won at Stoke on Sunday, replacing new signing Marouane Fellaini, who was denied the chance to face his former club because he is ineligible in this competition for the Toffees until January.
Everton were aiming to reach the group stages for the second season in succession against the Belgian champions, who consider themselves unfortunate not to have ended Liverpool's Champions League dreams at the qualifying stage last month.
Everton started with plenty of aggression and pushed Liege back, and Marcos Camozzato was booked after only four minutes for penalty-box wrestling at a free-kick.
Victor Anichebe then shot wide from 10-yards out and it looked as if Everton were force an early breakthrough.
But the Belgian champions had given Liverpool a severe examination and stunned Goodison Park with a 10th-minute strike.
Joleon Lescott was caught out on the right and reacted slowly when Wilfried Dalmat forced the ball across goal for Dieumerci Mbokani to guide a close-range shot home.
It should have been two after 23 minutes when Milan Jovanovic struck a low shot that colleague Igor De Camargo somehow deflected wide of a post from a yard out.
Liege continued to attack Lescott on a continually exposed flank. The pace of their attacks had worried Everton into changing their system, having started with three central defenders pushed in tight.
Despite their problems, Everton found themselves level after 23 minutes when Lescott found Mikel Arteta and the Spaniard fed Osman before the ball was played instantly forward for Yakubu to sweep home.
Jovanovic should have made better use of a clear chance when played into space from a Camargo back-heel, while skipper Steven Defour twice had 20-yard shots charged down as Liege continued to create opportunities.
Another run and cross on the right exposed Everton again after 36 minutes.
Camozzato raced away to fire a low cross into the box where Joseph Yobo - assuming that Mbokani was closer behind him that he thought - lunged in to put the ball past Tim Howard.
Four minutes later Everton were level again. And it was Ecuadorian midfielder Segundo Castillo who lashed a poor clearance past Rorys Espinoza from 25-yards out.
Dante Bonfim was booked for a foul on Osman before Yakubu almost scored again with a flicked effort in stoppage time.
Espinoza tipped over an Arteta free-kick soon after the restart, the game showing no signs of being anything but a free-flowing, full-blooded clash.
And as if to underline that, Everton had Anichebe carried off with a shin injury after a crunching tackle with Bonfim and James Vaughan took over after 64 minutes.
Two minutes later Dalmat was booked for a trip on Arteta, who was a constant threat on the left. He almost set-up Yakubu in the box soon after, but the Nigerian lost control at the point of shooting.
The tension got to the two managers, Moyes and Boloni arguing over the Romanian not returning the ball quickly enough for Moyes' liking for a throw.
Mohamed Sarr was then booked for a foul on Vaughan, who soon after saw a header from Arteta's corner flash just over.
Benjamin Nicaise took over from De Camargo with five minutes left, Everton still coming forward and Tim Cahill saw a header saved from Yakubu's cross.
Liege thought they had won a penalty in injury-time when Dalmat went down under pressure from Lescott in the box but the appeals were waved away.
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