On Tuesday, August 13, the return matches of the 3rd round of the qualification round of the Champions League season-2024/25 took place. In one of them, local Rangers and Dynamo Kyiv met in Glasgow.
Champions League. 3rd qualifying round. Return match
"RAINDGERS" (Glasgow, Scotland) - "DINAMO" (Kyiv, Ukraine) - 0:2 (0:0)
Goals: Pikhalenok (82), Voloshyn (84)
First match - 1:1
Warnings: Zhefte (31), Diomande (44)
Penalties: Zhefte (50, repeated warning)
"Dynamo: 1.Buschan - 20.Karavaev (40.Bilovar, 90), 32.Mikhavko, 4.Popov, 44.Dubinchak - 6.Brazhko, 10.Shaparenko (17.Lonwijk, 90) - 7.Yarmolenko (9.Voloshyn, 68), 29.Buyalsky (K) (76.Pihalenok, 75), 22.Kabaev (45.Bragaru, 75) - 11.Vanat.
Reserves: 35.Nesheret, 2.Vivcharenko, 18.Andriyevskiy, 21.Supriyaga, 24.Tymchik, 28.Ceballos, 30.Diallo.
"Rangers": 1.Butland, 2.Tavernier (K), 3.Yilmaz (26.Davis, 77), 4.Prepper, 5.Sutter, 8.Barron, 9.Dessers, 10.Diomande (21.Sterling, 68), 11.Lawrence (17.Matondo, 85), 22.Jefte, 45.McCausland (18.Cherny, 46).
Reserves: 31.Kelly, 20.Dowell, 23.Wright, 38.King, 47.Fraser, 48.McKinnon, 49.Rice, 99.Danilo.
Match statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>>
The first half of this match was an equal and very tense contest. In the opening of the match Rangers tried to press Dynamo with high pressing, but it didn't lead to any real sharpness. Later on, the teams alternated possession of the ball and attacks.
Dynamo were the first to create a goal. In the 9th minute of the game Kabaev made a sharp shot into the Rangers goalkeeper's box, the goalkeeper was played back, but Yarmolenko failed to close this pass on the far post.
The answer of the Scots followed ten minutes later - after a wing pass Jefte shot from five meters and the ball flew near the bar of Dynamo goal.
Further on the field there was a real battle for the ball in every episode, so there was no talk about sharpness. But the most goal-scoring moment of the first half occurred on the 34th minute of the match, when a swift counterattack of Rangers ended with McCausland's shot from 20 meters - Buschan saved Dynamo in a throw. As a result, the teams went to the break with zeros on the scoreboard.
At the very beginning of the second half Rangers were left in the minority - it was Zhefte who received a second warning and went to the shower. And almost immediately after that Dynamo had a great chance: in the counterattack of the Bilo-Syni, Karavaev broke into the Rangers penalty area from the right, instead of the intended pass to Shaparenko he struck, but missed the goal. A couple of minutes later, Buyalskyi struck a shot from 12 meters, but it was blocked by Sutter.
"Dynamo, being in the majority, of course, attacked more often than the opponent, but the hosts tried not to press to their goal and responded with counterattacks at every opportunity. At the same time Kyiv still remained in this match without a single shot in the goal. Only in the 81st minute of the game Mikhavko became the author of the first accurate shot of his team - he shot from distance, but the goalkeeper "Rangers" caught the ball.
But just a minute later, Dynamo's second shot at the goal became effective - it was Pikhalenok who shot from the goal line and the ball flew into the bottom corner of the Scottish team's goal - 0:1. No sooner had the Rangers players recovered than they conceded again: this time Shaparenko, having entered the opponent's penalty area, gave back exactly to the advancing Voloshin and he hit the target with a touch - 0:2. There could have been a third goal, but Vanat in the offset time of the second half after a mistake of the Rangers goalkeeper failed to hit the goal.
Thus, on the sum of two matches (1:1, 2:0) Dynamo advanced to the play-off round of the Champions League qualification, where they will play with Austrian Salzburg. The first match will be played on August 20 or 21 in Lublin, Poland, and the return match will be held on August 27 or 28 in Salzburg.
Alexander POPOV
