Does Barcelona keep their last 16 chance alive?
This week’s matches on the international stage are all about revenge. The fourth matchday in the group stage features the same fixtures as a fortnight ago – with the only difference being that home advantage has been swapped. In Group E of the UEFA Champions League, this means that Dynamo Kiev and Barcelona will face each other in Ukraine.
After the first three group games, the outstanding Bayern can already plan for the last 16 with three wins and an impressive 12-0 goal difference. The red eagles from Lisbon are currently in second place, meaning that the great FC Barcelona would currently be eliminated in the preliminary round. In Kiev, therefore, it is almost a must-win game. The bookmakers are offering odds of around 1.60 for Dynamo Kiev against Barcelona.
The Ukrainian top club still has the possibility to jump on the eighth-final train, but before that, a significant improvement in performance is needed. The Ukrainians are not only winless, but have not scored a goal yet this CL season. The match kicks off at the NSK Olympiskyi Stadium on Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Dynamo Kiev – Statistics & current form
For the first time in five years, Dynamo Kiev won the title last season. The initial scepticism regarding head coach Mircea Lucescu (who worked for years at long-time rivals Shakhtyor Donetsk) has long since faded. The double winners are also leading the table in the current season.
Outstanding statistics in front of the home crowd
On the national stage, the capital’s players are currently the absolute measure of all things and are only very rarely challenged. Accordingly, the results in the domestic championship are also clear. Eleven of the 13 games so far have been won, only twice did Lucescu’s team have to settle for a draw.
The home record is absolutely outstanding, as goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan has not conceded a single goal at home – a goal difference of 20:0. The defensive strength at home has even been admired internationally recently, as no goals were conceded against Ferencvaros Budapest (1:0) in the qualifiers or against Benfica Lisbon (0:0) in the group phase. The last time there were three CL home games without conceding a goal was in autumn 2002.
Internationally without any penetrating power
Despite convincing performances in the domestic championship and defensive strength in home games, Dynamo Kyiv’s starting position in Group E of the Champions League group stage is almost hopeless.
The point gained against Benfica Lisbon was the only point the Ukrainians have collected so far, and they have lost both of their away games to nil. Dynamo Kiev have not yet scored a goal. In total, Dynamo Kiev have only fired 17 shots on goal and only eight of those have been taken inside the penalty area – both the worst figures in the current CL season.
The discrepancy between domestic and international performances is huge, so the prediction for Dynamo Kiev against Barcelona is that once again both teams will fail to score.
Predicted line-up of Dynamo Kiev:
Bushchan – Mykolenko, Syrota, Zabarnyi, Kedziora – Sydorchuk, Shaparenko – de Pena, Buyalskyi, Tsygankov – Supryaga
Last matches played by Dynamo Kiev:
Premier League
10/30 2021 – FK Mariupol 2 – 3 Dynamo Kyiv
Cup
10/27 2021 – FK Mariupol 1 – 2 Dynamo Kyiv
Premier League
10/24 2021 – Dynamo Kiev 2 – 0 SC Dnipro-1
Champions League Grp. E
10/20 2021 – Barcelona 1 – 0 Dynamo Kiev
Premier League
10/16 2021 – FC Lviv 1 – 4 Dynamo Kiev
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Interim coach Sergi Barjuan will also be on the sidelines of the Blaugrana in Ukraine, a successor for the sacked Ronald Koeman could not be presented yet. The former figurehead of Spanish football is now earning a reputation as a chaos club.
Personnel problems worsen
In the first game after the Koeman era, the next disappointment had to be absorbed. In the home match against Deportivo Alaves, Barcelona once again dropped points and thus had to settle for a 1-1 draw against the relegation candidates. This leaves the Blaugrana in a completely disappointing ninth place in the table after eleven games.
In addition to losing two points, the Catalans also had to cope with two scares. First of all, Sergio “Kun” Agüero grabbed his heart and complained of shortness of breath. Although he was able to leave the field himself, he still had to go to the hospital for more detailed heart examinations – he will not play in Kiev.
Gerard Pique, who was substituted due to a muscle injury, also joined the lazarette. In addition to this duo, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Sergi Roberto, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite will also have to miss out as things stand at the moment.
Only a win counts
Regardless of the many absences, the Catalans are doomed to win in Ukraine, because should Bayern provide shooting assistance, Barcelona would jump to second place in the meantime with the victory. The first away match of the current CL season was lost 3-0 in Lisbon, and the last time the Catalans lost two CL away matches in the group stage was in autumn 2014.
A gala performance is by no means to be expected, the turmoil in and around the club is too great for that. Coupled with the home side’s offensive weakness, betting on an under 2.5 is also a good option for Dynamo Kiev against Barcelona. Barcelona have scored just one goal in their first three group games – the fewest in CL history.
Predicted Barcelona line-up:
ter Stegen – Alba, Lenglet, Eric Garcia, Mingueza – Busquets, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez – Depay, Coutinho, Dest
Last matches played by Barcelona:
LaLiga
10/30 2021 – Barcelona – 1 – 1 Deportivo Alaves
10/27 2021 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 0 Barcelona
10/24 2021 – Barcelona 1 – 2 Real Madrid
Champions League Grp. E
10/20 2021 – Barcelona 1 – 0 Dynamo Kiev
LaLiga
10/17 2021 – Barcelona 3 – 1 Valencia
Dynamo Kiev – Barcelona Direct comparison / H2H balance
These two teams have faced each other 13 times on the international stage. Unsurprisingly, the direct comparison speaks a clear language in favour of the Catalans, who have won nine of these 13 games. The traditional Ukrainian club has celebrated three victories so far, the last in November 1997.
Last season, the two sides met in the group stage of the top flight. The Blaugrana prevailed both at home (2:1) and away (4:0). The first group match this season was won by the favourites by a razor-thin margin through a Pique goal.
Dynamo Kiev – Barcelona Tip
The name “FC Barcelona” has not lived up to its promise for years this season. Many football fans still have to get used to this – and probably also the bookmakers. Time and again, we see that the odds for the Catalans are relatively low, even though the performances are average at best. For Dynamo Kiev against Barcelona, odds of 1.74 are offered when betting on the visitors.
The Ukrainian champions are certainly the underdogs, and rightly so, but betting on the Catalans is always risky this season. Quite surprisingly, the odds on Dynamo Kiev vs Barcelona are on the under 2.5. Dynamo Kiev have yet to score (and have recorded the fewest shots on goal), while Barcelona have only scored once in three games. A 2.10 for a maximum of two goals is accordingly lucrative, the recommended stake is six units.
