Ognjen Vukojević's injury-time equaliser rescued a point for Dynamo Kyiv in their opening UEFA Europa League Group E match against Stoke City FC on Thursday evening.
Dynamo started with Betão and Yussuf in defence alongside Danilo Silva and Goran Popov. Andriy Yarmolenko and Miloš Ninković patrolled Dynamo’s flanks with Ognjen Vukojević and Denys Harmash in central midfield, while Andriy Shevchenko partnered Artem Milevskyy up front.
As for the opposition, Stoke City head coach Tony Pulis left a number of key players at home ahead of Sunday’s Barclays Premier League encounter away to Sunderland FC and fielded a defensive line-up with five players at the back.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play 10 minutes into the second half, when their debutant Cameron Jerome turned home Ryan Shotton's cross. After conceding a goal, Yuriy Semin’s men kept up the pressure and had numerous chances to equalise, with Andriy Shevchenko and substitute Oleksandr Aliyev constantly worrying Stoke City’s defense and goalkeeper. And just as it seemed the game would end in the visitors’ victory, Ognjen Vukojević levelled matters, converting Yarmolenko's cross at the back post on 91 minutes.
In the other group E match of the day, Besiktas defeated Maccabi Tel-Aviv 5:1 at home.
2011/2012 UEFA Europa League, group stage, Matchday 1
DYNAMO – STOKE CITY – 1:1 (0:0).
Dynamo: 1.Shovkovskyy, 2.Danilo Silva, 3.Betão, 5.Vukojević, 6.Popov, 7.Shevchenko, 9.Yarmolenko, 10.Milevskyy, 19.Harmash (25.Haruna, 46; 11.Ideye, 75), 36.Ninković (8.Aliyev, 58), 37.Yussuf.
Stoke City: 29.Sørensen, 30.Shotton (18.Whitehead, 81), 17.Shawcross, 4.Huth, 20.Upson, 28.Wilkinson, 6.Whelan, 40.Palacios (19.Walters, 87), 15.Diao, 33.Jerome (16.Pennant, 75), 9.Jones.
Goals: Vukojević (90+1) – Jerome (55).
www.fcdynamo.kiev.ua
