Today, Dynamo Kyiv will play its first match against Salzburg Austria in the Champions League playoffs. Former Chornomorets Odesa and Ukraine national team defender Andriy Telesnenko shared his expectations for this game.
Andriy Telesnenko- In the two previous rounds of the Champions League, Dynamo showed their best side. In the games against Serbian Partizan and Scottish Glasgow Rangers, we saw that the Kyiv team is capable of playing good football and even dictating its terms to opponents. True, they were not from the "top" category, but this does not detract from the victory of Dynamo. Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's team managed to achieve harmonious interactions between the lines, set up the wards for an effective transition from defense to attack and improve their performance in attacking actions. In the above-mentioned matches, we saw that Dynamo skillfully controls the ball, imposing its own game on the opponent. And at every opportunity, they skillfully use the activity of their constructive players, which leads to goal scoring. In this regard, two newcomers to the capital's team - Oleksandr Pikhalionok and Maxim Bragaru - are quite useful. It has been a long time since we have seen such successful acquisitions at Dynamo as this summer. I hope that both of these players will help Dynamo in solving their tournament tasks more than once.
At this stage, there are no easy opponents, and everyone knows it well. "Salzburg plays in European competitions every year, so they can be considered hardened by this tournament. This club has several players of the Austrian national team, and there are many strong legionnaires. It is clear that the match against Salzburg will not be a cakewalk for Dynamo, as this club has many virtues. How will the game go? I think that at first, the opponents will feel out each other's weaknesses, conducting cautious reconnaissance. And based on this, they will build the game in the future. It is important for Dynamo to bend their line, controlling the ball and persistently looking for favorable opportunities. I believe that 'standards' and long shots can become an effective weapon for Dynamo. Pikhalenok knows how to do this, as he has demonstrated more than once. I hope that in the first game, the Ukrainian team will be able to show character and will again be able to please its fans and the Armed Forces," the expert said.
