Will the Red Bulls get off to a good start in Lublin?
No two Austrian teams have ever managed to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. However, this could now change in 2024/25. While national champions Sturm Graz have already secured their place in the 36-team field of participants in the top flight, RB Salzburg want to follow suit. Coach Pep Lijnders’ team will face a club from Ukraine in the play-offs. The first leg on Wednesday evening will therefore take place in Lublin, Poland. Ahead of the clash between Dynamo Kiev and Red Bull Salzburg, betting on the outcome of the game is associated with a lot of risk, as there is no clear favorite in this form
This is partly due to the fact that both clubs have made a very good start to the new season. The “Bilo-Syn” from the Ukrainian capital have already eliminated two well-known opponents in the CL qualifiers, Partizan Belgrade and Glasgow Rangers, while the Red Bulls are still unbeaten after six competitive matches. The teams are definitely not lacking in confidence or quality in attack. Consequently, a prediction of at least three goals after 90 minutes between Dynamo Kiev and RB Salzburg is very low
Dynamo Kiev – stats & current form
Even before the play-off matches in the Champions League, it is clear that Dynamo Kyiv will be back in the main draw of a European club competition after a year’s absence. The 16-time Ukrainian champions will now face RB Salzburg in mid-September to decide whether they can actually return to the top flight for the first time since 2021/22 or whether they will have to make do with the “second-tier” Europa League group stage.
If we believe the odds on the “To-Qualify” market ahead of Dynamo Kiev’s first leg against Red Bull Salzburg, then the Eastern Europeans are being treated as outsiders. At Betano, for example, you can get 2.65 for the Blue & Whites to advance, which corresponds to a probability of just under 38%. With the Betano bonus code in August 2024, you can reduce your own risk if you decide to place a corresponding bet:
Dynamo Kiev have made a big impression
There are plenty of arguments that head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team can cause problems for the favored Austrians. Dynamo Kiev, for example, were in excellent form in the previous qualifying rounds. Partizan Belgrade were put in their place with two clear victories in the first and second legs; the Ukrainians also outdid themselves against Glasgow Rangers with a 2-0 win at Ibrox Stadium after a 1-1 draw in Lublin.
Twelve goals scored in four European Cup matches are a clear indication that the cogs in the offense are already meshing very well. As they have also won their first two league matches, Shovkovksyi’s team are in impressive early form. However, it should not be forgotten that they have only managed to keep a clean sheet in two of the six competitive matches mentioned above. Among other things, the south-east Europeans have conceded a total of three goals in their two official home games in Lublin, Poland.
This makes the betting odds for goals from both teams or over-goals all the more exciting for Wednesday evening. For the first bet, we have discovered 1.52 as top odds at Sunmaker. We would even limit the over bet to the first half in favor of higher odds. At least two goals after 45 minutes deliver a handsome 2.42 in the Betano app.
Predicted line-up of Dynamo Kiev:
Bushchan – Dubinchak, Mykhavko, Popov, Karavaev – Brazhko, Buyalskyi, Shaparenko – Kabaev, Vanat, Yarmolenko
Red Bull Salzburg – Statistics & current form
For almost the entirety of last season, Red Bull Salzburg lacked what has characterized RB soccer for many years. The pressing was easily outplayed by many opponents, the intensity on the pitch left a lot to be desired and even the usually highly talented footballers with their generally impressive pace fell short of their individual potential. As a result, the footballers from Wals-Siezenheim once again had to settle for second place after ten championships in a row
The development curve of RB Salzburg is pointing upwards
Since Pepijn Lijnders, the former Klopp assistant at Liverpool FC, took over the reins in the summer, the “Red Bulls” are well on the way back to their former strength. Despite a relatively passive transfer policy with only two new external signings, the Dutch head coach has managed to implement the new style of play in the minds of the professionals within a very short space of time. At least that is what the very successful start to the season so far suggests.
After three match days, the Red & Whites are the only team in the Bundesliga to have won all of their matches and are therefore top of the table without a single loss. The mandatory task in the ÖFB Cup was also mastered without any problems and last year’s third-placed team from the Eredivisie, FC Twente, was eliminated in the Champions League qualifiers after two good performances. Although they conceded a total of four goals in the first and second legs against their opponents from Enschede, the Lijnders team scored five goals themselves.
Although the Bulls also proved at the weekend in their narrow 1-0 win at LASK that the focus can be on a stable defense, there are many reasons to predict a relatively high-scoring match between Dynamo Kiev and RB Salzburg. Apart from that, it must be taken into account that the Wals-Siezenheim side were spared five important players on Saturday. Successful CL qualification is the top priority at this stage. Even a draw in Lublin would be a good result to seal the deal in front of their own fans next week.
Predicted Red Bull Salzburg line-up:
Blaswich – Terzic, Piatkowski, Baidoo, Dedic – Gourna-Douath, Bidstrup, Kjaergaard – Gloukh, Yeo, Nene
Dynamo Kyiv – Red Bull Salzburg head-to-head comparison / H2H result
Despite the fact that both clubs have a solid history in international competition, Dynamo Kyiv and RB Salzburg will face each other for the first time in a European Cup match on Wednesday evening. Salzburg have played four times against clubs from Ukraine to date, winning just once (1-1-2). Kiev’s record against Austrian representatives is much better, with ten wins from 16 games (10-4-2). However, the respective encounters took place a long time ago and are therefore irrelevant
Dynamo Kiev – Red Bull Salzburg betting tip
Two extremely in-form teams meet in the first leg of the Champions League play-off on Wednesday evening. Both Dynamo Kyiv and RB Salzburg have yet to taste defeat so far this season. Both teams have five wins and one draw from six competitive matches. Their attacking play is a particular trump card. The Whites and Blues have scored a whopping twelve goals in four European Cup games, while the Bulls have scored 20 goals in six matches.
Although there is a lot at stake in this decisive qualifying round, both in sporting and financial terms, we think it is likely that the bet on over 2.5 goals and/or goals from both teams in the first leg of Dynamo Kiev v Red Bull Salzburg will go through. However, given the low odds, we are taking a different approach
In our eyes, the most appealing value is hidden in the odds on the draw between Dynamo Kiev and Red Bull Salzburg. The Austrians would certainly not be unhappy with a draw in Lublin, Poland. Kiev also underlined with their away win in Glasgow that away games can end successfully. We therefore do not believe in a decision on Wednesday evening and play the (too) high 3.60 for the X after 90 minutes with two units
