Match of Honor
In the light of the recent domestic heart-rending performance crowned up by Wednesday’s rout in England, tonight’s match against currently top-table Shakhtar emerged for Dynamo as a good opportunity to get back their high profile in front of a snowy and thus half-packed stadium. The White-Blues did grab their chance in their second game under Oleh Luzhnyy’s guidance. We will never know the way things would have gone had the weather conditions been different. Anyway, both teams agreed they were on equal terms in the encounter, which also marked crossing the equator of the 2007/2008 season.
Shaktar early start
The Miners were faster to get acclimated on a winter pitch and seized the early initiative only to lose it after some thirty minutes. Their simple defender-midfielder-Brandao/Hladkyy scheme could have well worked. Although causing some hiccups, the two strikers failed to break through the Dynamo stubborn defense.
European justice
Last and this season’s so far top scorer Hladkyy did not score tonight, but the Ukraine international secured his team a point by picking up an early second-half doubtful penalty and becoming Shaktar’s Man of the Match. This was only the beginning, with a lot more “interesting” ref decisions to come in the remaining time. Postmatch, Bo Larsen said he is accustomed to working in such weather and confirmed he did not regret his ruling: “It was a jersey holding by Dynamo number 98. For me, it is a clear penalty”.
Going for a double
Goal-thirsty after an injury spell and short sub appearances, Bangoura tried his luck tonight to become the third White-Blue to ever eye a double against Donetsk. Altough the opener arrived no sooner than on 42 seconds, the Ghioane-Diogo-Bngoura trio admirably coped with their work, with the latter volleying a 15-meter shot past the defender straight into the net. Isma’s second was an immediate response to the unhealthy penalty after he had tricked Yezerskyy and shot into the far corner. The Guinea international could have gone even further to claim Dynamo first hat trick against Donetsk hadn’t his 90-minute shot hit the post.
