The first captain of the Ukrainian national team, Yuriy Shelepnytskyi, made a prediction for today’s main round match of the Conference League between Turkish «Samsunspor» and Kyiv «Dynamo».
— In over 60 years of «Samsunspor’s» history, they have not managed to compete with Istanbul giants «Galatasaray», «Fenerbahce», and «Besiktas». Today’s opponents of the Dynamo team have only won the bronze medal of the Turkish Championship three times, the last time being last season. But this team has always been known for its resilience, especially in home matches. I had the opportunity to experience this when I played in Turkey. The current «Samsunspor» is noted not only for its fighting spirit but also for its game discipline, thanks to the head coach, German specialist Thomas Reis. I recall that at one point, «Bochum» under his command stood out in the Bundesliga for its tactical literacy.
This season, «Samsunspor», although it does not have any «stars» in its lineup, tries to stay at the top, having recently drawn with the prestigious «Fenerbahce», skillfully using the 4−1−4−1 formation. Analyzing the recent matches involving the Kyiv team, it is difficult to predict what to expect from them. Currently, Dynamo is unpleasantly surprising with its inability to secure points against teams lower in class. This is a worrying sign.
I hope that in Samsun, although Dynamo will not be playing with their strongest lineup, they will not lose. Much will depend on how the Kyiv team operates in the transition phase and how they complicate offensive operations for the hosts. I lean towards the conclusion that it will end peacefully — 1:1," the expert said.