This week the matches of the 5th round of the Europa League group stage for the 2024/25 season are taking place. One of them on Thursday, November 28, featured Kyiv's Dynamo and Czech Viktoria. The match was nominally a home game for the Ukrainian team, but due to the war, it was held in Hamburg at the Volksparkstadion.
Europa League. Group stage. Round 5
DYNAMO (Kyiv, Ukraine) — VIKTORIA (Plzeň, Czech Republic) — 1:2 (0:1)
Goals: Kabayev (90+5) — Vyдra (55), Schultz (90)
Warnings: Brazhko (68) — Markovic (45), Havel (79)
Dynamo: 1.Bushchan — 40.Bilovar, 4.Popov, 32.Mikhavko — 20.Karavaev (24.Tymchyk, 65), 6.Brazhko, 10.Shaparenko, 2.Vyvcharenko (39.Herrero, 73) — 29.Buyalsky (C), 15.Rubchynskyi (22.Kabayev, 65) — 11.Vanat.
Substitutes: 35.Neshcheret, 51.Morhun, 3.Diachuk, 9.Voloshyn, 23.Malysh, 45.Bragaru, 91.Mykhailenko.
Viktoria: 16.Yedlichka, 40.Dve, 3.Markovic, 21.Yemelka, 22.Kodu, 6.Cherv (51.Vashulin, 85), 23.Kalvakh (C), 31.Shulc, 19.Suarez (24.Havel, 71), 11.Vyдra (29.Slonchyk, 85), 33.Yirka (12.Soyka, 76).
Substitutes: 13.Tvrdon, 30.Bayer, 2.Geyda, 5.Palushka, 9.Rikardinho, 10.Kopyts, 18.Moskera, 20.Panosh.
Match statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>
The start of the match was tough for Dynamo: Viktoria immediately pressed high with the starting whistle, forcing the Kyivan team to play close to their own penalty area. However, the first decent chance was created by the team coached by Shovkovskyi: in the 9th minute, Dynamo's counterattack ended with a shot by Buyalsky from about 8 meters, but it was blocked by Kadu.
Overall, by the 10th minute, Dynamo managed to significantly improve their ball possession, pushing the opponent away from their goal and often combining on Viktoria's half of the field. But Kyiv did not create any sharp chances: the Czechs skillfully denied their opponents space.
In the middle of the first half, the teams exchanged dangerous moments. First, Dynamo completed their impressive and swift counterattack with a prepared and accurate shot by Buyalsky from about 14 meters, but Yedlichka managed to cope with that. A minute later, Bushchan managed to catch the ball after a very dangerous shot by Tsyrka from about six meters.
In the closing segment of the first half, neither Dynamo nor Viktoria managed to create anything special in attack. Only two shots can be noted. A long-range one by Yemelka was slightly off target. And from inside the penalty area, Shaparenko's shot was saved reliably by the goalkeeper. As a result, they went into the break with zeros on the scoreboard.
The second half started with a very dangerous moment at Dynamo's goal. After Schultz's pass from the corner of the six-yard box, Yirka attempted a quick shot, but Bushchan managed to parry this incredibly dangerous strike.
In the 51st minute, Vyvcharenko sent the ball into Viktoria's net after a diagonal cross from Karavaev, but after VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Just a few minutes later, the Czech team succeeded: Vyдra struck a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area, sending the ball straight into the bottom corner of Dynamo's goal — 0:1.
After conceding the goal, the Kyiv team rushed into attack with even more eagerness, but in the next segment of the match, only a shot by Brazhko from about 25 meters can be distinguished, after which the ball flew under the crossbar of Viktoria's goal, but Yedlichka saved his team with a dive.
The remainder of the match was spent almost uninterrupted in Viktoria's half of the field, however, in the end, a second goal went into Bushchan's net: in the 90th minute of the match, Schultz received a pass near the penalty mark, spent a moment observing the passive clearance performed by Shaparenko and Bilovar, after which he calmly sent the ball into the net — 0:2.
But at least Dynamo managed to score a consolation goal: in the fifth compensated minute of the second half, Kabayev struck from about 28 meters, sending the ball precisely into the top corner of Viktoria's goal — 1:2, making it the fifth consecutive loss for the "white-blues" in the Europa League.
In the next round of the Europa League group stage, Dynamo will face an away match against the Spanish Real Sociedad. This match will take place on December 12 in San Sebastián.
Alexander POPOV
