Dynamo – Metalist Kharkiv: UEFA Cup First Leg Preview

As the old idiom goes, familiarity breeds contempt, but you wouldn’t know it from the words of respect and praise showered by Dynamo players and manager on their UEFA Cup Round of 16 opponent Metalist Kharkiv. When the match kicks off on Thursday at Lobanovsky Stadium in Kiev it will be the first time two Ukrainian clubs have faced each other in a European competition. While it promises to be a banner day for Ukrainian football, the historic nature of the encounter may be lost on the participants themselves. After all it was only a week ago that Dynamo dealt Metalist a 2-0 setback in Kharkiv, all but writing their name on the league trophy. And while the visitors insist that the UEFA Cup and the UPL are different animals, Dynamo’s status as the giants of Ukraine will no doubt serve as a psychological barrier for Metalist. Should they manage to get past it, there is another obstacle for them to overcome – Dynamo are simply better than them.

Metalist attacking midfielder Denys Oliynyk spent four years in the Dynamo system, making four appearances for the first team and scoring two goals before transferring to Kharkiv this winter. He found immediate success at his new home, scoring a crucial away goal against Sampdoria to help set up this meeting with his former club. Oliynyk understands what Metalist are up against as well as anyone:

We know Dynamo very well, but that works both ways. They know all our strengths and weaknesses. The foreign clubs Metalist faced in earlier stages of the UEFA Cup did not know much about us or our style of play. We could rely on the element of surprise, and that won’t work on Thursday. We are preparing for a very tough match. Perhaps we would have been better off against Valencia.

Dynamo’s Ognjen Vukojevic never shies away from a challenge on the pitch, and apparently is just as straight forward when it comes to speaking to the press. Unlike his manager and teammates the young Croat did not take the politically correct approach when asked about facing Metalist:

The only difference between the UEFA Cup and the league is we play two matches in succession. We will try to show that we are much stronger than our opponent, just like we did in the league. Dynamo is stronger than Metalist, the players are stronger, the manager is stronger. We will maximize all of these advantages to reach our goal of advancing to the next round.

Vukojevic is a card away from a one match suspension, but the midfield warrior said he will not compromise his style of play in an effort to avoid another booking. On the subject of yellow card trouble, Dynamo will be without the services of a true left back, with both Andriy Nesmachniy and Badr El Kaddouri reaching the limit in the second leg 2-2 draw that sent them past Valencia. Dynamo faced third place Vorskla Poltava in UPL action this weekend, and while manager Yuri Semin insisted he would not use the match as a test run for the clash with Metalist, he proceeded to do just that. Semin employed three central defenders, sending his side out in a 3-5-2 formation that brought back memories of Valeriy Lobanovsky. And the Kiev players would have made their late legendary manager proud, running away with a convincing 4-1 victory.

Metalist, on other hand, stumbled again with a 1-1 draw against third from bottom FC Lviv. Manager Myron Markevych put much of the blame on the awful condition of the Lviv pitch, but whatever the reason it is a poor result leading up to the biggest match in the history of the Kharkiv club. As if Metalist needed more bad omens, as the team left for Kiev their plane experienced mechanical problems and had to turn around, needing two landing attempts before thankfully touching down safely at Kharkiv International. There’s nothing like a near death experience to help you focus on football…

A convincing result for Dynamo can put this tie beyond doubt and make the return leg in Kharkiv a mere formality, and I have a feeling the UPL leaders will go for the jugular from the opening whistle. The strike partnership of Artem Milevskiy and Artem Kravets is starting to click, and the excellent form of playmaker Oleksandr Aliyev is a big reason why. An early goal like the one last week would be ideal, but even if Dynamo doesn’t find the net right away their pressure is bound to break Metalist. The midfield is healthy again and with five player expected to line up in the second level Dynamo should have the lion’s share of possession, wearing out the visitors in the process. Metalist’s main threat will come on the counterattack, but Taras Mykhalyk and Betao have the pace needed to contain Jaja Coelho, and there is no one else on the visitors who should worry Dynamo. Prediction: Dynamo 3 – 0 Metalist.

Category: UEFA Cup 2008/2009

Tags: Andriy Nesmachniy, Artem Kravets, Artem Milevskiy, Badr El Kaddouri, Betao, Denys Oliynyk, FC Lviv, Jaja Coelho, Metalist Kharkiv, Myron Markevych, Ognjen Vukojevic, Oleksandr Aliyev, Taras Mykhalyk, UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup 2008/2009, Ukrainian Premier League, Valencia, Valeriy Lobanovsky, Vorskla Poltava, Yuri Semin

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