Is Dynamo Kiev doomed to fail?

This week, Dynamo Kiev also kick off the new competitive season. The Ukrainians have not played a competitive match since December 2021 due to the current situation at home. Because league play is suspended, the qualifying match against Fenerbahce is now the first competitive match in this calendar year for last year’s runners-up in the Ukrainian Premier League.

The first leg will be played in Lodz, Poland, so the supposed home advantage for the Ukrainian representative should not be overrated. The best bookmakers see Dynamo Kiev against Fenerbahce as slight underdogs anyway according to betting odds. For a bet on the Ukrainians, quotes of 2.85 are currently offered.

When you consider how strong the guests from Turkey have been during their summer preparation, the bookmakers’ assessment is not at all surprising. Fenerbahce won five test matches in a row before the upcoming match against Dynamo Kiev and flexed their offensive muscles during this period.

It is quite possible that the momentum from the summer preparation will be carried over into the first match of the new competitive season. With a win in Lodz, Fenerbahce can also tweak their record against Dynamo Kiev, because: So far, the Canaries from Istanbul have never won a competitive match against the Kiev side.

Dynamo Kiev – Statistics & current form

Football continues to be secondary at Dynamo Kiev due to the current situation at home. Last year’s runners-up in the Ukrainian Premier League have taken a break from the game since the start of the war and have only kept fit in test matches. Now, this week, Dynamo Kiev are due to play their first competitive match.

The Ukrainians will face Fenerbahce in the first leg of the second qualifying round for the top flight. Dynamo Kiev will have to move to Lodz for the first leg and the supposed home match will be played in Poland. Surprisingly, odds of 2.85 are offered on Dynamo Kiev vs. Fenerbahce for a bet on the Ukrainians.

However, not only the limited home advantage speaks against a prediction in favour of the supposed host, but also the current situation in the squad. In the course of the calendar year, there were no reinforcements. Moreover, according to a special FIFA rule, Dynamo Kiev were able to transfer foreign players free of charge throughout the year.

Still enough potential to beat Fenerbahce?

The team structure nevertheless remained mostly stable at Dynamo Kiev. Head coach Mircea Lucescu can therefore start with a largely well-rehearsed team. In their summer preparations, Dynamo Kiev have already faced a number of top European teams, including Olympique Lyon.

Dynamo Kiev won one of two friendly matches against the French top club. Since then, however, there have been two defeats in a row during the summer preparation, in which the Ukrainian defence in particular left a poor impression. It is quite possible that the negative trend will continue against Fenerbahce.

The only thing in Dynamo Kiev’s favour is their record against Turkish clubs: in a total of 20 matches against teams from Turkey, Dynamo Kiev currently have a record of 12-5-3. The Blue-Whites have never even lost a competitive match against Fenerbahce – will it stay that way?

Predicted line-up of Dynamo Kiev:
Bushchan; Karavayev, Dubinchak, Zabarnyi, Tymchyk; Sydorchuk, Shaparenko; Tsyhankov, Harmash, Verbic; Supryaha

Last matches played by Dynamo Kiev:

Friendly club matches
16/07/2022 – Antwerp 2 – 1 Dynamo Kiev

13/07/2022 – Lyon 3 – 0 Dynamo Kiev

12/07/2022 – bLyon 1 – 3 Dynamo Kiev

09/07/2022 – FC Luzern 1 – 2 Dynamo Kiev

05/07/2022 – BSC Young Boys 0 – 0 Dynamo Kiev

Fenerbahce – Statistics & current form

Fenerbahce go into the CL qualifiers with a broad chest. After the vice-championship in the last season, not only the coach was changed, but also the previous squad was increased. Under Jorge Jesus, who has already won 19 titles in his current career on various continents, the Canaries are now looking to reach the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2008/09.

In the last 14 years, Fenerbahce have reached the qualifying stage for the top flight a total of six times. The best result in that period was making the play-offs in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons. Since then, Fenerbahce have failed miserably in the third qualifying round for the Champions League.

That included a defeat to Shakhtyor Donetsk in the 2015/16 season, a 3-0 aggregate score against the Ukrainians after the first and second legs, which saw Fenerbahce bow out of the top flight almost seven years ago.

Are they tweaking their record against Ukrainian clubs?

Fenerbahce face Dynamo Kyiv in a must-win match against a Ukrainian side for the ninth time in the club’s history. So far, the Yellow Navy have a record of 1-4-3 against Ukrainian clubs, with the only win coming against Zoya Lugansk. On the other hand, Fenerbahce remained winless against Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtyor Donetsk.

Nevertheless, it is by no means unreasonable to place a bet on the visitors from Istanbul when it comes to Dynamo Kiev vs Fenerbahce. After all, the Canaries have had a strong summer preparation, and the new arrivals have also been convincing. If the yellow and navy blue team carries the momentum with them, a win against the Ukrainians is obvious.

Head coach Jorge Jesus will only have to do without Nazim Sangaré for the first match of the new season due to injury. There are no other serious absences in the Canaries’ ranks. Defender Min-jae Kim is currently in negotiations with top European clubs and is not expected to feature in the first leg against Dynamo Kiev.

Predicted Fenerbahce line-up:
Bayindir – Osayi-Samuel, Aziz, Szalai, Kadioglu – Kahveci, Pelkas, Crespo – Rossi, Dursun, Bruma

Last matches played by Fenerbahce:

Friendly club matches
11/07/2022 – Fenerbahçe 2 – 0 Hull

05/07/2022 – Fenerbahçe 3 – 0 Fehervar FC

02/07/2022 – Fenerbahçe 1 – 0 Partizan Belgrade

29/06/2022 – Fenerbahçe 4 – 2 Al-Shamal

25/06/2022 – Fenerbahçe 4 – 0 KF Tirana

Dynamo Kiev – Fenerbahce Direct comparison / H2H record

This is the fifth time the two clubs have met in a competitive match. Dynamo Kiev lead the direct comparison with a record of 2-1-1. At home, in Kiev at the time, Dynamo won both home games against the Canaries from Istanbul. The last time the two clubs met was in a test match in August 2021. The match in Istanbul ended in a 1-1 draw.

Dynamo Kiev – Fenerbahce Tip

Dynamo Kiev have at least gained some match practice throughout the calendar year with numerous test matches. This week, head coach Lucescu’s team will play its first competitive match of the calendar year. The match against Fenerbahce Istanbul is a real acid test for last year’s runners-up in the Ukrainian Premier League.

The Canaries, however, have had a strong summer preparation and, under the guidance of Jorge Jesus, the new manager of the Yellow Navy, are confident about the new season. In contrast, Dynamo Kiev were not at all convincing in the last friendly matches.

In the dress rehearsal before the match against Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev even conceded a 1:2 defeat against Royal Antwerp. In addition, the match between the two clubs will be played on neutral ground in Poland due to the current situation in Ukraine. There is therefore no question of a home advantage in favour of Dynamo Kiev.

With a stake of five units, we dare to bet on Dynamo Kiev vs. Fenerbahce at odds of 2.50 on the guests from Istanbul.