Former Ukraine and Dynamo defender Volodymyr Yezerskyi told us who he favors in today's first Champions League playoff qualifying match between Dynamo Kyiv and Salzburg Austria, which will take place in Lublin, Poland:
"The opponents are in approximately the same game tone: Kyiv has played more in European competitions, and the "citizens" - in their Bundesliga. There is also a certain balance in the psychological state: Dynamo knocked out Glasgow Rangers from Scotland in the previous stage of the Champions League, and the Austrian club knocked out the Dutch Twente, both teams are undefeated in the domestic arena.
That's why the opponents' physical fitness and tactical settings come to the fore. And there are some concerns in terms of "physics". Still, Dynamo players have been spending a lot of time traveling lately, and with such a rhythm, there may be difficulties with recovery. It is possible that this is the reason why Dynamo were unable to play their calendar matches with Veres and Karpaty in the same breath. Nevertheless, the season is only gaining momentum, and let's hope that the Kyiv team will get stronger every day.
As for the tactics, the opponents use different schemes, which makes today's match all the more interesting. We'll see which coaching practices will be more effective. In Lublin, I give the nominal hosts a higher chance," said Yezersky.