This game is likely to define which team will finish second this season in Ukrainian Premier League.
Dynamo: save the victorious rhythm
Last week Dynamo defeated Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Kyiv.
The White and Blues have started demonstrating the game their head coach Oleh Blokhin would like to see. Yarmolenko and Husiev are true wings of Dynamo attacks, Ideye scores again, the midfield triangle Veloso – Harmash – Haruna looks monolithic, the keeper Maxym Koval plays very confidently.
Now Kyivans are to save this victorious rhythm till the end of the season. The White and Blues looked especially powerful playing against Zorya Luhansk and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
The draw in Kharkiv will be favorable for Dynamo. But Oleh Blokhin is unlikely to set his players for that. Kyivans will try to get back their own for the last home defeat against Metalist.
Dynamo head coach Oleh Blokhin won’t be present at the substitutes’ bench because of suspension. The right back Danilo Silva will also miss the game. The assistant coach Olexiy Mykhailychenko has commented upon this situation.
- Oleh Blokhin is still the head coach despite the fact that he won’t be present at the substitutes’ bench. As for Danilo Silva, we have enough versatile players. Of course I can’t name the one who’ll substitute Brazilian defender right now. We are still to decide that.
Metalist: set for the fight against “demons”
This season Metalist have got a new owner. It is a businessman Serhiy Kurchenko.
During the winter break Coelho and Devic returned to Kharkiv. The Yellow and Blues have also signed Brazilian back Azevedo and Ukrainian Supporting halfback Krasnoperov.
Counterattacks are the most important weapon for Metalist. They lack confidence in defense sometimes.
Kharkiv side representatives have developed a kind of set-up theory against their club. Serhiy Kucherenko’s assistant Konstantyn Pyvovarov communicated with media a lot during the last week and Metalist head coach Myron Markevych was not satisfied with the fact that Yuriy Mozharovskyi will be the referee of the key game of the season.
Face to face
Dynamo have faced Metalist 33 times in Ukrainian Premier League.
Kyivans won 24 games, Kharkiv side – 4 and five more matches ended in a draw. Goal difference is 70:25.
It’s interesting that in UPL Metalist managed to defeat Dynamo in Kharkiv only once – in 1992 (2:1).
Last time these teams faced each other Markevych’s team won in Kyiv.
UPL. Matchday 12
20.10.2012. Kyiv. NSC Olimpiyskyi. 40,547 spectators.
Dynamo – Metalist – 1:3 (0:1)
Dynamo: Shovkovskyi (c), Mykhalyk, Khacheridi, Taiwo, Husiev, Vukojevic, Veloso (Milevskyi, 75), Yarmolenko, Raffael (Kranjcar, 46), Mehmedi (Ruben, 82), Ideye.
Metalist: Horyainov, Villagra, Berezovchuk, Papa Gueye, Fininho, Edmar (c), Shelaiyev (Sharpar, 65), Marlos (Cristaldo, 73), Willian (Torres, 83), Taison, Xavier.
Goals: Yarmolenko (59) – Taison (34), Xavier (52, penalty), Torres (90+3).
Yellow cards: Taiwo (51), Vukojevic (55), Mykhalyk (68), Yarmolenko (70), Milevskyi (90+4) – Taison (55), Edmar (69), Cristaldo (79).
Red cards: Mykhalyk (88, second booking) – Cristaldo (87, second booking).
