FC Dynamo Kyiv played the first Ukrainian Cup match this spring in Zaporizhia. They faced FC Zoria Luhansk in the quarterfinal first leg.
Comparing with the game against FC Metalist Kharkiv there were five substitutions in the White-Blues starting lineup. Shovkovskyi, Antunes, Lens and Mbokani weren’t even on players’ list. Danilo Silva stayed at the bench.
The weather in Zaporizhia was nasty. It was snowing and raining.
Kyivans took control over the game at once. Yarmolenko and Kravets unleashed good shots.
Serhiy Rebrov’s men opened the score rather quickly. Yarmolenko found Buialskyi, who rushed into the penalty area, where Zoria keeper Poltavtsev fouled against him. Oleh Husiev converted from the spot.
Only after that Luhansk side stole the initiative for some time. Malynovskyi didn’t use a really good chance. Halfway through the first half the situation became even more difficult for Zoria. Yarmolenko performed another straight pass to Buialskyi, Vitaliy found Kravets inside the box and Artem hit the open goal.
After the break home side used one of their counterattacks. Totovytskyi put a cross into Dynamo penalty area and Kameniuka headed the ball in.
Anyway it was the only goal Rybka conceded. The White-Blues could increase their lead instead, but Andriy Yarmolenko didn’t score in one-on-one situation 63 minutes into the game.
In the second half Serhiy Rebrov made three substitutions. Young Yevhen Chumak made his debut for Dynamo in the national cup. Ten minutes before the time another significant event took place. Denys Harmash took the field after very long break.
Ukrainian Cup. Quarterfinal. First leg
04.03.2015. Zaporizhia. Slavutych-Arena
FC Zoria Luhansk – FC Dynamo Kyiv – 1:2 (0:2)
Zoria: Poltavtsev, Opanasenko, Vernydub, Pyliavskyi, Kameniuka (c), Bilyi, Malyshev (Chaikovskyi, 46), Malynovskyi, Karavayev (Ljubenović, 34), Khomchenovskyi (Totovytskyi, 46), Budkivskyi.
Dynamo: Rybka, Vida, Dragovic, Burda, Betao (Teodorczyk, 71), Rybalka, Yarmolenko, Belhanda (Chumak, 66), Buialskyi (Harmash, 81), Husiev, Kravets.
Goals: Kameniuka (50) – Husiev (13, pen.), Kravets (32).
Booked: Kameniuka (82), Chaikovskyi (90+3) – Harmash (89).
On March 4 FC Dynamo Kyiv will face FC Zoria Luhansk within the Ukrainian Cup quarterfinal first leg.
The game will start at 17:00 at Slavutych-Arena in Zaporizhia.
Dynamo: third competition within a week
Dynamo enter the field in the third competition this year. Ukrainian Cup is special for Serhiy Rebrov’s men as they are the holders of the trophy which became the first one for our head coach in his gaffer career. Dynamo battle against Zoria is expected to be interesting. Both sides demonstrate spectacular play.
The day before the game several performers left the White-Blues camp for different reasons. Goalkeeper Maxym Koval and midfielder Lukman Haruna will feature for FC Hoverla Uzhhorod on loan till the end of the season while defender Yevhen Selin – for FC Metalist Kharkiv. Still Kyivans have a wide range of players for squad rotation, so maybe we’ll see some of those, who didn’t take the field in three previous games of the year, at Slavutych-Arena.
Zoria: to demonstrate football fans like
Luhansk side players surprise their supporters this season. Even though Zoria had to move to Zaporizhia they struggled worthy in the Europa League qualification while in the UPL standings they are fourth.
Zoria first game of the year was brilliant. They hammered FC Olimpik Donetsk 5:1. It’s quite clear that they worked intensively at the training camp and besides managed to save the main squad performers.
Luhansk side head coach Yuriy Vernydub has shared his expectations of the forthcoming match against Dynamo: “The game will be difficult. Dynamo are the UPL leaders. Kyivans’ play is of really high level. They prove that both in the Europa League and domestic league. We’ll talk to our performers and show them the White-Blues strengths and weaknesses. I hope we’ll demonstrate football our fans like”.
Face-to-face matches statistics
Zoria are one of three teams that deprived Dynamo of points this season. On September 13 the game of these two sides at Slavutych-Arena ended in 2:2 draw.
As for the Ukrainian Cup, Kyivans faced Luhansk side only once in this competition. In 2008 the White-Blues defeated their opponent 2:0 in the round of 16.
