It is now a certainty that Dynamo will have to cope the rest of the season without vice-captain Taras Mykhalyk. Mykhalyk underwent surgery to repair the damage to his knee he suffered in the UPL match against Metalurh Donetsk. The recovery time is expected to be around six months. Dynamo will have to continue relying on the central defensive pairing of Goran Sablic and Ayila Yussuf. Meanwhile PSG have received a boost as left back Sylvain Armand was deemed fit enough to travel with the squad to Kiev. It is still uncertain whether he will be ready to play.

Yuri Semin planned to rest most of his key players this weekend as Dynamo hosted Chornomorets Odessa. But after the visitors canceled out Andriy Nesmachniy’s spectacular opener, the manager brought on Milevskiy and Oleksandr Aliyev for the final half hour. Aliyev capped the match with a trademark free kick after Serhiy Kravchenko restored the lead with a long range strike of his own. Ismael Bangoura played the full 90 in another uninspired performance, and his initial attacking partner Andriy Yarmolenko did not impress in his hour long shift. With Artem Kravets officially ruled out, there is a lot of speculation about which forward Semin will turn to. Despite the rumors that newcomer Guilherme will make his long awaited debut, my gut feeling is Semin will go with his most proven player. And that means Bangoura will be the one to partner Milevskiy up front. The Guinean striker has yet to score this year, but his experience against Ligue 1 opposition, his apparent fitness, and his track record make him the logical choice. Bangoura is desperate to find the back of the net and silence his doubters, and we should expect to see his best effort today.

PSG had their share of openings at Parc des Princes, but their inability to find the final ball is the reason this tie is still scoreless. The attacking presence of Giuly was sorely missed, but boss Le Guen has yet to waiver when it comes to using the veteran winger in the UEFA Cup. It is clear that his priorities lie in Ligue 1, where goal differential is all that separates his side from a Champions League qualifying spot. As much as a shot at European silverware could mean for PSG supporters, finding a way back into the Champions League and the resulting financial windfall is far more important for the club. Which is why I think Giuly and Makelele are certain to start on the bench today.

Semin’s charges have played attacking football at home against all opponents, and the results speak for themselves. PSG will find it much harder to generate their own offense in front of the Kiev faithful. Dynamo’s edge in possession during the first leg will be even more apparent today, and they should be able to establish it in the attacking half of the pitch. I think Dynamo will be able to break the French resistance inside the first half hour, and how they will play with a goal advantage will determine the outcome of the match. If Dynamo can convert its counters better than they did against the likes of Arsenal, Porto, and Metalist, it will be a long night for PSG. But if the visitors are allowed to stay within a goal to the end, there will always be the possibility of another heartbreak. Prediction: Dynamo 2 – 0 PSG. Goals from Milevskiy and Bangoura, bring on Shakhtar!

PSG had recently gone through some lean years, including having to survive a relegation battle in 2006/2007. Despite the appointment of manager Paul Le Guen late that season, the two-time French champions found themselves even closer to the abyss next year, needing to win its final two matches to avoid the drop. However the former skipper righted the Paris ship this year, and his side are just four points from the top of the table in the first contested Ligue 1 race since the turn of the century. A Coupe de la Ligue title in 2008 earned PSG a spot in the UEFA Cup, and the Paris club has enjoyed showing off its improved form all over Europe.

The success of this year’s team can be largely attributed to several key additions brought in by Le Guen, which have helped solidify the existing core of veteran players. Top scorer Guillaume Hoarau has impressed since his summer move from Le Havre AC, whom he helped earn top flight status the previous season. The towering 24 year old will present an aerial challenge for the Dynamo defense. Midfielders Ludovic Giuly and Claude Makélélé brought with them the experience of winning the Champions League trophy for Europe’s top clubs when Le Guen acquired their services before the season. Another veteran of European finals joins them in midfield in the form of Jérôme Rothen, Giuly’s former AS Monaco teammate. Captain Makalelele has found an able partner in the center of the pitch in Beninese midfielder Stéphane Sessegnon, another newcomer from Le Mans. Jerome Clement rounds out the PSG midfield, having followed Le Guen from his previous stop at Glasgow Rangers.

PSG has had its share of defensive troubles this season, and Le Guen has fielded a rotating cast of characters in front of Mickaël Landreau. His task of keeping Dynamo off the scoreboard will be made that much tougher because of the injury to left back Sylvain Armand. Dynamo will also be missing an important defensive piece after losing standout center back Taras Mykhalyk to a damaged meniscus in its 2-0 victory at Metalurh Donetsk. He will likely be replaced by Ayila Yussuf, who made his first start since a September injury in the same match.

Without the services of the injured Artem Kravets and with Ismael Bangoura still looking to find his form after an unimpressive 45 minutes against Metalurh D, Semin is likely to play with one striker in the away leg of this quarterfinal. Here’s the eleven I anticipate will start the match:

———————-Bohush———————
Betao——Yussuf—-Sablic——-El Kaddouri
——————–Vukojevic——————–
Correa———Eremenko————-Ninkovic
———————-Aliyev———————-
———————Milevskiy——————–

Dynamo will be boosted by Ognjen Vukojevic’s return from suspension. The Croatian midfielder nodded in the second goal against Metalurh D. Oleksandr Aliyev, who opened the scoring from the spot, is a booking away from having to sit out a match himself. Artem Milevskiy appears to be no worse for wear after taking a stud to the cheek last weekend. Guilherme and Andriy Yarmolenko have both made the trip to Paris, but if another attacker has to be brought on it would likely be Bangoura, who has plenty of experience with French opposition. Oleh Husyev and Serhiy Kravchenko will probably be the other likely options off the bench.

In recent years Arsenal has become a proving ground for young Dynamo players, with quite a number of them heading out on loan across town. But relying on players contracted to other clubs can be a risky proposition as manager Oleksandr Zavarov recently found out. The former Dynamo great was left to cope without two major contributors when Dynamo sold midfielder Denys Oliynyk to Metalist Kharkiv and recalled defender Vitaliy Mandzyuk. In addition as part of their loan deals Volodymyr Lysenko and Andrey Eshchenko are prohibited from playing against Dynamo.

Oleh Husyev saw his longest stretch of playing time yet as he started the second half and looked to be rounding into shape. Milos Ninkovic had to be substituted after suffering a painful knock but the injury is not believed to be serious. Ayila Yussuf got another taste of competitive football, featuring for the final quarter hour. It was good to see the Nigerian midfielder back on the pitch after an extended absence with a thigh muscle injury. He could be a difference maker for Dynamo as they hope to continue competing on three fronts through the end of the season.

Several potential first team players participated in the youth team encounter between the two clubs, resulting in a 6-0 cakewalk for Dynamo. Mandzyuk, Diogo Rincon, and Guilherme started the match, while Florin Cernat and Maksim Shatskikh came on as substitutes. All eyes were on the record signing from Brazil, but it was the Ukrainian youngsters who shined. Andriy Yarmolenko opened the scoring while Roman Zozulya’s hat trick made him the clear man of the match. The pair of 19 year old attackers will find opportunities with the senior team hard to come by as Dynamo’s injury list thins out, but their performances should earn another look from Semin. If Dynamo clinches the UPL championship with games to spare we should see the pair featured in the final matches of the season.

Speculation of both sides playing this match close to the vest ahead of their looming clash in the UEFA Cup proved unfounded. Semin made one change to the eleven that got through Valencia last week, returning to the 4-4-2 with Artem Milevskiy back in the lineup ahead of Serhiy Kravchenko. Metalist boss Myron Markevych also fielded his strongest side. But the hosts had to do without flu-ridden Ukraine international Marko Devic. Midfielder Denys Oliynyk, purchased from Dynamo over the break, could not take part in the first meeting against his former club as per the terms of the transfer.

Dynamo enjoyed the brighter start, but it was Metalist hit man Jaja Coelho who put the first shot on target, testing Stanyslav Bohush from the edge of the area. Dynamo continued to build the pressure, and it paid off just past the quarter hour. Oleksandr Aliyev’s low delivery from a corner kick was met at the near post by Taras Mykhalyk. The defender got his toe on the ball, and his deflected effort could not be corralled by keeper Oleksandr Goryainov before it had crossed the goal line. The vehement protests by the home players were without merit, and earned Seweryn Gancarczyk a yellow card. The Polish defender should have been sent off after his awful challenge on Milevskiy ten minutes later, but referee Vitaliy Godulyan took pity on the Metalist vice-captain. Ognjen Vukojevic had a golden chance to put Dynamo two up, but his close range shot was parried for a corner. At the other end Jaja’s free kick had to be punched clear by Bohush, with Jonathan Maidana’s follow-up overhead effort going high. In the dying moments of the half Edmar went down in the Dynamo area and appealed for a penalty, but instead was shown a yellow card for diving. The Metalist players once again surrounded the referee in an attempt to influence his decision, but we all know the futility of this tactic.

The first action of the second half brought even more controversy. Chasing a long ball from Carlos Correa, Artem Kravets was brought down by Papa Gueye. The referee judged the Senegalese defender was the last man back, and produced a straight red card. The home fans showed their displeasure by pelting Godulyan with snowballs. They may have had a legitimate complaint, as both Kravets and Gueye were involved in a physical battle for position which the Dynamo striker won before going to ground. But in truth the hosts should have been down to ten men long before, and the behavior of their players and fans towards the officials was downright shameful. The sending off forced Markevych into a tactical change, bringing on defender Andriy Berezovchuk for midfielder Oleksandr Rykun. With their hopes dwindling, Metalist were reduced to shooting from distance, Bohush having no trouble with the effort from international teammate Serhiy Valyayev. Dynamo looked determined to capitalize on the man advantage and ice the match, and it was their European hero Kravets who did the honors. A perfectly weighted Roman Eremenko pass from the right flank found the young striker racing in behind the defense, and with Goryainov off his line Kravets took a touch to create the proper angle before smashing the ball into the net. Metalist tried to come up with a consolation goal near the end, but all of their attempts were turned away by Bohush and the Dynamo defense. Of particular note was the introduction of Oleh Husyev in the final minutes, his first taste of action since injuring his knee last spring. The versatile midfielder has been working hard to return to fitness and could be a major contributor for Dynamo the rest of the season.

In this first of three meetings with Metalist, Dynamo once again showed they are the team to beat in Ukraine, creating even more breathing room at the top of the table in the process. But they cannot afford a let up as Markevych’s side will be strengthened and full of belief when the clubs meet at Lobanovsky Stadium in a week’s time. The Metalist manager chalked up this result to referee bias and Dynamo taking advantage of their “half chances”, no doubt looking to maintain his players’ confidence. For his part Semin dismissed the notion that his side benefited from the officiating:

I saw a match between two even teams. We were a bit nervous and tense at the start. Scoring off the set piece early on made things easier, as Metalist were forced to open up. I thought we looked good physically, and I am grateful to the players for a job well done. As for the red card, Kravets was breaking away and was pushed from behind. What else do you expect the referee to do?

1-0 Mykhalyk ‘17

2-0 Kravets ‘67

Romanchuk’s injury is the most serious, as his leg was broken in two places by a terrible studs up tackle from a Stal defender. The offender was sent off, which will be of little consolation to Romanchuk as he faces a lengthy recovery. Ninkovic is another player who will not suit up for Dynamo in the near future. The Serb midfielder broke his right ankle after an awkward landing, and will be out into next year. “It’s so silly,” lamented Ninkovic, “there wasn’t even any contact. It is disappointing, especially with all the important matches on the horizon.”

Mykhalyk is the player Dynamo will miss the most in those tough contests. The defender was caught on the follow through by a Lviv player as he attempted a shot, and collapsed in obvious pain. Mykhalyk was fortunate to get away without any broken bones, but suffered a deep gash to his ankle and needed many stitches to close the wound. “When the bandages are changed I can see that it is still bleeding,” said Mykhalyk. “The important thing is to tolerate the pain and avoid more shots (that would slow the recovery). I am told it will be at least two weeks until the stitches are removed. Until then there is no point in speculating when I will be able to return.”

With Mykhalyk out against Shakhtar and likely to miss the Champions League match at Arsenal, Semin will need to decide on a replacement center half to play alongside Pape Diakhate. Asatiani is the favorite but his ankle is still an issue, and he will be pressed by veteran Goran Sablic. Ghioane is also uncertain to be ready in time for the weekend. One possible replacement is fellow Romanian Florin Cernat, who has performed well in limited opportunities this year. Semin will also hope to have Carlos Correa and Oleh Husyev ready to go. The pair has been gaining fitness with the “Deuce” and played in the cup match against Stal.

As for the actual results, Dynamo needed all the skill of Stanyslav Bohush and a wonder strike from Badr El Kaddouri to pull out a 1-0 victory against Lviv. The promoted side had fared well against the top teams in the league, with a 2-0 win against Shakhtar and a scoreless draw away at Metalist Kharkiv to their credit. The hosts should have gone ahead on 13 minutes, but Oleksandr Aliyev, already having drilled a set piece into the woodwork, had his spot kick saved and could not get a hold of the rebound. The trio of Aliyev, Ismael Bangoura, and Artem Milevskiy now all have a missed penalty to their credit. Dynamo had to wait until a quarter hour from full time to go ahead through El Kaddouri. Cernat sent his free kick attempt into the wall, but the Moroccan was there to lash an unstoppable shot into the top corner. But the man of the match was undoubtedly Bohush, as he denied Lviv chance after chance to take another massive UPL scalp.

Dynamo eased by Stal with a 4-1 margin to reach the Ukrainian Cup Semifinals. Cernat and Andriy Yarmolenko each secured a brace for a reserve side managed by assistant Oleg Luzhny. Cernat worked a clever set piece routine with Correa on the edge of the area before opening the scoring with a low strike into the near corner. The Romanian then ran onto a loose ball 25 meters from the target and again demonstrated a combination of power and accuracy to beat the Stal keeper. Cernat then sent Yarmolenko in on goal and the young striker made no mistake from close range. The hosts avoided a shutout when veteran keeper Taras Lutsenko did his best Paul Robinson impression, whiffing on a Sablic back pass and hanging an own goal on his Croatian defender. In stoppage time Yarmolenko got on the end of a Roman Zozulya cross to head home from close range for the final margin.

DYNAMO 1 – 0 FC LVIV

Dynamo: 31.Bogush, 3.Betão, 5.Vukojević, 8.Aliyev, 10.Bangoura, 15.Diakhaté, 16.Shatskikh (19.Cernat, 46), 17.Mykhalyk – cap (26.Nesmachnyy, 62), 23.Romanchuk (49.Zozulya, 56), 25.Milevskyy, 30.El Kaddouri.

FC Lviv: 30.Shevchuk, 3.Halchuk, 25.Zhdanov, 27.Vashchuk – cap, 22.Kitsuta, 7.Fedorchuk, 21.Shevelyukhin, 9.Khudzik, 28.Kotenko (14.B.Baranets, 76), 8.G.Baranets, 20.Poltavets (24.Panas, 83).

Goal: El Kaddouri (75).

Missed penalty: Aliyev (13).

Booked: Milevskyy (70), Aliyev (77) – Vashchuk (55), Shevelyukhin (59), Zhdanov (79).

STAL АLCHEVSK 1 – 4 DYNAMO

Stal А: 1.Babak, 4.Pasychnychenko (24.Shevchenko, 82), 2.D.Nazarenko, 23.Lotz, 3.Nazaruk, 5.Havrysh, 17.Valeyev, 8.Podnebennyy (14.Kiriak, 73), 18.Akymenko (32.Smalko, 60), 19.Mukhovykov, 9. Myshchenko.

Dynamo: 21.Lutsenko, 2.Dopilka, 6.Sablić, 7.Corrêa (20.Husyev, 52), 9.Morozyuk (18.Temile, 88), 11.Eremenko, 19.Cernat, 23.Romanchuk (34.Khacheridi, 62), 24.Sakhnevych, 49.Zozulya, 70.Yarmolenko.

Goals: Sablić (54, own goal) – Cernat (14, 28), Yarmolenko (37, 90+2).

Yellow card: Temile (90+1).

Red card: D.Nazarenko (59)

Thankfully, Betao appears to be OK. It will not be lost on anyone that the attacker chose one of Dynamo’s three black players as the target of his frustrations. Never mind that Betao had just shut down Porto’s danger man Cristian Rodriguez for 90 minutes. While fan violence will always be a dark cloud hanging over the beautiful game, the apparent racial motivation makes this particular act that much more despicable. The irony of the situation is that when in a few years Betao blossoms as a player and asks for a transfer to a bigger club, the same people who would take a swing at him after a loss will assail the Brazilian for his perceived lack of loyalty.

In the face of such sad events, the results on the pitch become secondary. Dynamo fell victim to one of the oldest adages in football – if you do not score when you are supposed to, you will get scored on. It happened in their first group match against Arsenal, and it happened again on Wednesday. Dynamo had a handful of clear cut opportunities to put the match out of reach or retake the lead, but they could not take advantage of them. Moments before Lisandro Lopez took off on his last minute pilgrimage up the pitch, no fewer than four Dynamo players tried in vain to stuff the ball into the Porto net from close range. Before that, Ognjen Vukojevic hit the post with the goal at his mercy, and Oleksandr Aliyev failed to convert several golden chances throughout the second half.

Perhaps the most immediate cause of Dynamo’s failure to preserve a point was their reluctance to bring down Lisandro in the dying moments. In the aftermath manager Yuri Semin, as well as several ex-players like former captain and manager Anatoliy Demyanenko and his fellow 1986 Cup Winners Cup holder Vasiliy Rats, admitted that a tactical foul was in order. “In this situation (Valeriy) Lobanovskiy would have justified it,” said Rats of Dynamo’s late legendary manager. “Such decisions seem obvious in hindsight,” mused another ex-Dynamo defender, Serhiy Fedorov. “The players were trying to get the win and make it into the knockout round, and in the end did not have the energy or experience to prevent the outcome.”

With Arsenal inexplicably held to a nil draw at home by Fenerbahce, the situation in Group G remains clouded. All four teams still have at least a theoretical chance to advance. I will examine the possible permutations and how they affect Dynamo at a later time. For now, the focus shifts back to the Ukrainian Premier League and Sunday’s home fixture against struggling FC Lviv.

Resisting the temptation to rest key players ahead of the Porto match, Semin fielded his strongest eleven, and the hosts showed their class from the start. Bangoura had a chance to open the scoring when Milevskiy sent him in on goal with a clever heel flick, but the Guinean could not pull the trigger quickly enough and saw his attempt deflected for a corner. The home fans would not have to wait long to celebrate. Roman Eremenko won the ball and played it to Bangoura, who raced down the right flank and sent a low cross through the box. The efforts of two Karpaty defenders kept Tiberiu Ghioane from reaching the pass, but an unmarked Milevskiy arrived at the back post just in time to bury the ball into the empty net. Dynamo made it two on 25 minutes, after a corner was parried weakly by the fists of Karpaty keeper Vsevolod Romanenko in the direction of Bangoura. In a flash “Isma” latched onto the ball and fired a volley from a sharp angle. Unable to see the shot behind a Pape Diakhate screen, Romanenko was helpless as the ball ricocheted off him into the goal.

Operating with a comfortable lead, Dynamo made several uncharacteristic mistakes in the back, and only a series of top quality saves by Stanyslav Bohush kept the Lviv side off the scoreboard. When Karpaty did manage to beat the Dynamo keeper, captain Taras Mykhalyk was there to clear the ball off the goal line, and the follow up effort was blocked by his defensive partner Diakhate. Right before the stroke of halftime Dynamo was gifted a penalty. After Eremenko saw his shot denied by the woodwork, Aliyev dribbled into the box and played the ball off the arm of a defender. Bangoura waited at the spot but Aliyev took charge, and dispatched the ball powerfully after sending Romanenko the wrong way.

Perhaps bothered by his side’s defensive lapses, Semin made a tactical change at halftime, sending on Andriy Nesmachniy for Ghioane. The move shifted Badr El Kaddouri from let back into a holding midfield spot, where he now partnered Ognjen Vukojevic. El Kaddouri demonstrated his versatility in the new role, as Karpaty were unable to mount a serious threat in the second half. A broken up attack from the visitors was soon punished by a beautiful Dynamo counter. The ball traveled through Eremenko and Milevskiy before Aliyev sent it ahead to Bangoura. With two defenders to beat, the striker took advantage of the space conceded to his weaker left side. After a series of feints Bangoura deftly shifted the ball onto his left foot and sent an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner for his UPL-leading eleventh goal of the campaign.

After Metalurh D’s defeat at Vorskla on Sunday, Dynamo find themselves seven points clear at the top of the table. The focus now shifts to the Champions League, where Dynamo will try to advance to the knockout round for the first time in nine years.

Dynamo: 31.Bogush, 3.Betão, 4.Ghioane (26.Nesmachnyy, 46), 5.Vukojević, 8.Aliyev (49.Zozulya, 72), 10.Bangoura, 11.Eremenko, 15.Diakhaté, 17.Mykhalyk – cap (23.Romanchuk, 78), 25.Milevskyy, 30.El Kaddouri

Karpaty: 1.Romanenko, 16.Khudobyak, 7.Godwin (15.Petrivskyy, 76), 5.Milošević, 99.Guruli, 11.Zenjov (18.Kopolovets, 58), 8.Oshchypko, 9.Kozhanov (25.Tkachuk, 56), 79.Kuznetsov, 14.Pshenychnykh – cap, 19.Kobin

Goals: Milevskyy (18), Bangoura (25, 53), Aliyev (45, pen.)

Booked: Milevskyy (90+1)

As for the rest of the quarterfinal draw, Metalurh D will host Vorskla, while Metalist will travel to Tavriya. The matches are tentatively scheduled for November 11th and 12th, with replays on December 6th and 7th if necessary.

Ahead of Saturday’s UPL match between Dynamo and Karpaty, the reserve sides of the two clubs faced off at Dynamo’s training facility. I bring this up because the starting eleven for the “Deuce” featured Oleh Husyev at forward and Carlos Correa in his familiar midfield role. Held out of Wednesday’s cup match against Zorya, the duo were in action for the first time since their respective injuries before being substituted at halftime. Both players put in an encouraging performance, and most importantly made it off the pitch in one piece.

The match started quickly and Bohush was already forced to make a good save when Bangoura slipped through the middle of the Tavriya defense and was brought down in the box. The Guinean’s effort from the spot was well saved by Oleksandr Bandura, but there was no chance of keeping out the rebound as Bangoura put Dynamo ahead on seven minutes. Tavriya responded looking for the equalizer, aiming dangerous balls in the direction of striker Lucky Idahor, but the Dynamo defense held strong.

Milevskiy had several opportunities to get on the board in the first half. Bangoura’s service from the right side found Milevskiy on the doorstep, but the shot was too close to the keeper. Minutes later Milevskiy created another chance only to be once again denied from close range. Dynamo had to wait until after the break for the second goal. Bangoura delivered a perfect ball from the left flank, leaving a simple header for Milevskiy to make it two nil.

Celebrating his 25th birthday, Bohush was called into action throughout the match, and produced several excellent saves. However he could not keep his clean sheet streak intact when Idahor cut in front of Malkhaz Asatiani just past the hour mark. The Nigerian sent a pinpoint header into the bottom corner, and Tavriya was back in the match.

Dynamo had a chance to restore the two goal margin when Milevskiy was brought down in the box with less than ten minutes to go. Bangoura, perhaps lacking confidence after his earlier miss, deferred the spot kick duties to his strike partner. Milevskiy stepped up and went for style with a chip shot right down the middle. The 2006 World Cup, where Milevskiy scored in similar fashion against Switzerland, must have been fresh in Tavriya goalkeeper’s memory, because he held his ground and made the easy save. Milevskiy was left to hang his head and endure the jeers from the crowd. However Tavriya failed to capitalize on the shift in momentum, and minutes later the match was out of reach. Substitute Tiberiu Ghioane’s sweetly struck shot from the top of the box beat Bandura but not the framework of the goal. The ricochet fell into the path of Milevskiy, who made no mistake to grab the brace.

The victory, coupled with Metalurh D’s home defeat at the hands of Metalist, puts Dynamo five points clear at the top of the UPL table. Shakhtar, held to a nil draw by bottom of the table FC Kharkiv, is a shocking 15 points off the pace, and may have to face the reality of being out of contention before the halfway mark of the season.

Dynamo was without Taras Mykhalyk, who was suffering from a high fever, and Oleksandr Aliyev, who was rested. After the match Yuri Semin addressed the injury front with a good news/bad news announcement. Influential midfielder Oleh Husyev, shelved since spring with a knee injury, has begun practicing with the first team and is on the way to regaining match fitness. Ayila Yussuf, who suffered a thigh injury in the closing minutes of the Champions League match against Arsenal, is unlikely to return to action this calendar year.



Simferopol, Lokomotyv stadium
Referee: Andriy Shandor; Assistant referees: Andriy Valenko, Eduard Valenko (all from Lviv).

Tavriya: 41.Bandura, 7.Hajduczek, 18.Jokšas, 27.Golaydo, 13.Zborovskyy (16.Marković, 79), 17.Ferenchak, 23.Artemenko (24.Burduli, 71), 22.Ljubenović, 9.Kovpak (20.Gigiadze, 61), 11.Homenyuk – cap, 10.Idahor.

Dynamo: 31.Bogush, 5.Vukojević, 10.Bangoura (4.Ghioane, 84), 11.Eremenko, 15.Diakhaté, 23.Romanchuk (3.Betão, 46), 26.Nesmachnyy – cap, 30.El Kaddouri, 25.Milevskiy, 32.Asatiani, 36.Ninković (9.Morozyuk, 46).

Goals: Idahor (64) – Bangoura (7), Milevskyy (54, 86).

Booked: Ljubenović (33), Burduli (76) – El Kaddouri (21), Diakhaté (35).

Artem Milevskiy made his return to competitive football, coming on as a sub for Ismael Bangoura to start the second half. Milevskiy started Friday’s UPL match against Zorya Luhansk, setting up Bangoura for the opener of a four goal salvo in the first 15 minutes, sending Dynamo on their way to a 5-0 stroll. It was a far cry from today’s battle at Estadio do Dragao, a tactical encounter that earned Dynamo their best European result in years. Match details and the goal are below, and I will have much more for you soon.

Porto, Dragão Stadium
Attendance: 37,000

Referee: Terje Hauge; Assistant referees: Jan Petter Randen, Kim Thomas Haglund (all from Norway).

Porto: Nuno, Săpunaru, Bruno Alves, Rolando, Lino, Fernando (Hulk, 46), Raul Meireles, Lucho, Rodríguez (Sektioui, 62), Lisandro, Mariano (Tomás Costa, 68).

Dynamo: Bohush, Betão, Diakhaté, Mykhalyk, Nesmachniy, Vukojević, Ghioane (Eremenko, 60), El Kaddouri, Ninković (Asatiani, 83), Aliyev, Bangoura (Milevskiy, 46).

Goal: Aliyev (27)

Booked: Rolando (65) – Nesmachniy (32)