Former Ukraine forward: "Yarmolenko is no longer a leader"

On Thursday, 31 August, Istanbul will host a replay of the Conference League qualification match between Besiktas and Dynamo Kyiv. A week ago in Bucharest, the Turkish club snatched victory - 3:2. Taras Kabanov, the former striker of the Ukrainian national team, told what can help Dynamo to tip the scales in their favour today:

- So far, I regard the chances of the rivals to reach the next round as 50/50. A week ago in the capital of Romania, Kyiv demonstrated one of their best matches in recent years. They deserved a better fate if not for the childish mistakes of stopper Popov and Sirota.

- In Istanbul, the young Ukrainian team will have to face another formidable opponent - 12-man Besiktas.

- It is not a big deal, Dynamo has enough players with a lot of international experience, both in European cups and in the national team. Of course, it will be difficult to get used to the noise in the Istanbul arena and the most effective argument to silence the local fans is to score a goal. We should try to do it first.

- Yarmolenko will be absent in Dynamo's lineup again.

- Let's be honest: Andriy is not a leader yet. Coach Mircea Lucescu, most likely, counts on Yarmolenko as an experienced player, who will help his young teammates to make the right decisions. This is also very important, but, as for me, Andriy's absence is not a big loss, after all, I am convinced that there are no irreplaceable players.

- Who are the first players in Dynamo?

- Buschan, Shaparenko, Sidorchuk, Buyalskiy. The absence of any of them would be much more noticeable.

- It is said that Mircea Lucescu will have to resign in case of failure to qualify for the group stage of the Conference League.

- I am not aware of the agreements between the club management and the Romanian specialist. But I think that even in case of Kyiv's failure in Istanbul, the matter will not come to organising conclusions.