Will Benfica leave no stone unturned?
Many sports romantics would surely have liked Dynamo Kyiv to make it to the group stage of the Champions League and send a valuable message back home under attack. However, after the first leg against Benfica Lisbon the previous week, all indications are that the Ukrainian top club will have to make do with the second-tier Europa League.
After the Portuguese side’s 2-0 away win a week ago, however, it will take a minor miracle from coach Mircea Lucescu’s side. As if the task at the Estádio da Luz were not difficult enough, the Eastern Europeans, who can still only gain match practice on the international stage, must also win by at least two goals. No wonder, then, that odds in the region of 30.00 are being offered ahead of the second leg Benfica Lisbon vs. Dynamo Kiev that Kiev will pull off the sensation in the form of qualification for the main draw.
German coach Roger Schmidt’s home side have not only won all their competitive matches so far this season, but are traditionally even stronger at home than away. Moreover, because they now face an opponent who will inevitably have to take a little more risk due to their starting position, a prediction of a commanding success for the Àguias could pay off once again on Tuesday evening between Benfica Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
Benfica Lisbon – Statistics & current form
Benfica Lisbon have played five competitive games under Roger Schmidt’s management to date and have always come out on top. In the Champions League qualifiers, they first beat Midtjylland 4-1 and 3-1 in round three before a 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in Lodz, Poland. At league level, they also have maximum points after two games against Arouca (4-0) and Casa Pia (1-0).
The 14 goals scored in the five matches mentioned above underline the new enthusiasm for the game that the German coach has been able to instil in the players’ minds in all his stops. Nevertheless, the impressions gained so far also serve as a strong argument to push for another tip in the direction of the Portuguese on Tuesday evening between Benfica Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
Benfica a force in front of their own fans
It should also be mentioned that the “Os Encarnados” are traditionally very difficult to defeat in their own stadium. In the last Champions League season, when they reached the quarter-finals, they only lost to FC Bayern and Liverpool. Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev were defeated, while Ajax Amsterdam were held to a 2-2 draw.
In the context of qualifying for the top flight, there have been nine wins and one draw in the past ten home matches. The last home defeat in the CL qualifiers dates back to 2003. Based on these statistics at the latest, it should be clear that the odds on another success for the Portuguese in the match between Benfica Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev are our first choice.
This is also supported by the expected course of the game. The Ukrainians have to take risks relatively early and try their luck on the offensive. This in turn creates spaces for Schmidt’s charges, who have enough quality to exploit them consistently and effectively. Consequently, we think it is more likely that Benfica will also win the second leg. They are rested in any case, because the league match at the weekend was postponed to a later date due to international duties. Full focus is therefore on this match on Tuesday night.
Predicted line-up of Benfica Lisbon:
Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Otamendi, Morato, Grimaldo; Luis, Fernandez; Mario, Silva, Neres; Ramos
Last matches played by Benfica Lisbon:
Champions League Qualification
18/08/2022 – Dynamo Kiev 0 – 2 Benfica
Liga Portugal
13/08/2022 – Casa Pia 0 – 1 Benfica
Champions League Qualification
10/08/2022 – FC Midtjylland 1 – 3 Benfica
Liga Portugal
06/08/2022 – Benfica 4 – 0 Arouca
Champions League Qualifier
03/08/2022 – Benfica 4 – 1 FC Midtjylland
Dynamo Kiev – Statistics & current form
You can only take your hat off to the way Dynamo Kiev have represented the Ukrainian national colours with pride and honour in this Champions League qualifier. It should be clear to everyone how difficult it is to deliver top performances on a sporting level, after all Dynamo have not been in regular match play for many months, only playing test matches and not even being able to play their home games in their own country.
It is all the more remarkable that coach Mircea Lucescu’s team eliminated Fenerbahce Istanbul in the second qualifying round after extra time and then knocked out Sturm Graz in round three, also after 120 minutes. There was no sign of a lack of competitive toughness or rhythm. Only two goals conceded in those four games also underlined the solid stability in the defensive area.
Kiev defy the odds
In the previous week, however, the Ukrainians also reached their limits. Although Dynamo had chances to score a goal themselves, they ended up with a not undeserved 2-0 defeat, which naturally complicates the task ahead of the return match on Tuesday. But at least you can be sure that the proud Eastern Europeans will once again try everything in their power. For this reason, among others, it is also conceivable to keep an eye on a prediction of goal successes for both teams between Benfica Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
Qualitatively, the Blue and Whites have had to cope with some setbacks in recent months. With the exception of one Pole and two Africans, all the legionnaires left the team. In the first leg, right-back Kedziora was the only non-Ukrainian on the pitch. The fact that two important players, Garmash and Sydorchuk, have returned to the starting eleven after missing the first leg through suspension, gives hope. Nevertheless, the starting position remains unchanged. It would be a medium sensation if Dynamo Kiev were to make it into the 32-team CL field.
Predicted line-up of Dynamo Kiev:
Bushchan; Kedziora, Zabarnyi, Syrota, Dubinchak; Sydorchuk, Garmash, Shepeliev; Buyalskyi, Tsygankov, Besedin
Last matches played by Dynamo Kiev:
Champions League Qualification
18/08/2022 – Dynamo Kiev 0 – 2 Benfica
10/08/2022 – Sturm Graz 1 – 2 Dynamo Kiev
04/08/2022 – Dynamo Kiev 1 – 0 Sturm Graz
Friendly club matches
30/07/2022 – Everton 3 – 0 Dynamo Kiev
Champions League Qualifier
27/07/2022 – Fenerbahçe 1 – 2 Dynamo Kiev
Benfica Lisbon – Dynamo Kiev Direct comparison / H2H record
This will be the eighth time the two clubs have faced each other in the European Cup on Tuesday night. Six of the previous seven matches, however, were in the main competition. Four times the Portuguese left the pitch as winners, including in all three home matches. Another interesting fact is that only one team has ever scored in all seven of these encounters. So the bet on “both to score” would never have gone through. Will this change now in the play-off second leg?
Benfica Lisbon – Dynamo Kiev Bet
Six tickets are still up for grabs for the Champions League group stage. One of the vacant starting places will most likely go to the Portuguese capital. Ahead of the second leg, Benfica Lisbon are odds-on favourites to make it into the main draw against Dynamo Kiev. No wonder, since the first leg in Lodz, Poland, ended 2-0 for the Schmidt team.
In their own Estádio da Luz, there is now even much to suggest that the “Os Encarnados” will leave the pitch as winners. Benfica have won nine of their last ten Champions League qualifiers at home, have five wins from five competitive matches under the new German coach and are also benefiting from a starting position that puts the visitors from Ukraine under extreme pressure.
We are therefore convinced that the Àguias will also win the second leg and are even betting on a -1 handicap in favour of the southern Europeans on Tuesday evening between Benfica Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
