Does Fener make it all clear on the Bosphorus?
The world is complicated and it’s not always easy to find your way around it. This is especially true for the Ukrainian football club Dynamo Kiev. It is not yet clear when play will resume in the home country. The league is currently scheduled to start at the end of August. Whether that will happen, however, will depend above all on the situation at home.
The Ukrainians are, however, competing in the Champions League qualifiers. They are currently fighting for a place in the third qualifying round in the League Path. On Wednesday, the return match takes place on the Bosphorus at Fenerbahce Istanbul. Last week, the two clubs played out a goalless draw at Dynamo’s home game in Lodz, Poland.
The Turks are seen as relatively clear favourites on Wednesday by our tested betting providers. The Fener fans will turn their own stadium into a witch’s cauldron in order to enter the third round with a win, where Sturm Graz is a supposedly solvable task. In general, the forecast for the Fenerbahce vs. Dynamo Kiev clash should probably go to a home victory for the Turks.
But we think that a team like Dynamo Kiev, which definitely has qualities, is unpredictable, especially in the current situation. That’s what makes the team from Ukraine so dangerous from a sporting point of view. However, if the Turks want to reach the top flight, they will have to win at home against the Ukrainian visitors, which is why we are leaning towards a home win in the second leg between Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kyiv.
Fenerbahce – Statistics & current form
Jorge Jesus has not been happy at some of his coaching stops, but the bottom line is that the coach has proven his qualities over the long term in Portugal and also in Brazil. Now he is expected to help Fenerbahce regain its former glory, even if his transfer policy is currently viewed critically in some quarters, but the coach promises that he will build a strong team.
Ordinary preparation
The Süperliga does not start for a good week and a half. Apart from the first leg against Kiev last week, Fenerbahce have only played test matches this season. It is still difficult to see exactly where the journey will take them. However, the preparation went very well with numerous victories in the endurance tests. Now Jorge Jesus presents his team for the first time in a competitive match in their own arena.
Expectations are high, even if it was only enough for a goalless draw in Lodz last week. However, the Turks were the team that dominated the game and had more than two thirds of possession and 8:0 shots on goal. Basically, Fener could have already brought about a preliminary decision in Poland and that is also why we rather look at the odds for a home win in the match Fenerbahce against Dynamo Kiev.
The Turkish squad is still a bit wild. The activities on the transfer market seem to be far from over. It is quite possible that Fenerbahce will have a slightly different look in the course of the next few weeks. In addition to numerous undisclosed players, including Max Meyer, Mert Hakan Yandas and Serdar Aziz will be missing due to injury.
Predicted line-up of Fenerbahce:
Bayindir – Kadioglu, Szalai, Tisserand, Osayi Samuel – Arao, Rossi, Yüksek, Kahveci – Valencia, King – Coach: Jesus
Last matches played by Fenerbahce:
Champions League Qualifier
21/07/2022 – Dynamo Kiev 0 – 0 Fenerbahçe
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
Dynamo Kiev – Statistics & current form
For Mircea Lucescu it is extremely complicated to form a powerful team, because at the moment it is difficult to get foreigners to play for Dynamo Kiev. In the first leg against Fenerbahce, for example, only one Pole and one Slovenian were in the squad alongside the players from Ukraine. The Brazilians and Africans who have played a part in Dynamo’s football in recent years are nowhere to be found.
No competitive games, hardly any legionnaires
A further problem is that the Ukrainian league has been on hiatus since last December. Of course, Mircea Lucescu and his team have played numerous friendlies since then, but these have been more under a charity character. In general, more attention has been paid to showing mutual respect and solidarity.
Sportingly, this was and still is a very difficult time for Dynamo Kiev. After more than a year, the duel in Lodz against Fenerbahce was the first competitive match. Judging by the way the game went, Mircea Lucescu could still be satisfied with a 0-0 draw. After all, they still have a chance of reaching the third round on the Bosphorus, but in general, given the circumstances, the forecast for Fenerbahce against Dynamo Kiev is very clearly in favour of a Turkish victory.
It is difficult to say how Dynamo Kiev will fare in terms of personnel. Obviously, at least Volodymyr Kostevych, Vladyslav Kulach and Ibrahim Kargbo will be missing due to injury. However, whoever starts for the Ukrainians will go into this game full of patriotism. A possible victory will be dedicated to the fighters at home. No Ukrainian club enters a football pitch without pathos.
Predicted line-up of Dynamo Kiev:
Bushchan – Dubinchak, Popov, Zabarnyi, Kedziora – Sydorchuk, Shaparenko – Verbic, Buyalskyi, Tsygankov – Besedin – Coach: Lecescu
Last matches played by Dynamo Kiev:
Champions League Qualification
21/07/2022 – Dynamo Kiev 0 – 0 Fenerbahçe
Friendly club matches
16/07/2022 – Antwerp 2 – 1 Dynamo Kiev
13/07/2022 – Lyon 3 – 0 Dynamo Kiev
12/07/2022 – Lyon 1 – 3 Dynamo Kiev
09/07/2022 – FC Luzern 1 – 2 Dynamo Kiev
Fenerbahce – Dynamo Kiev Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Fenerbahce Istanbul and Dynamo Kiev meet on the international stage every now and then. In total, the two clubs have faced each other in six duels. The direct comparison is in favour of the Ukrainians, who have won two matches. In addition, there have been four draws. This means that the Turks are still waiting for their first win against Dynamo Kiev.
In 2008, these duels even took place in the group stage of the top division. At that time, Andrey Yarmolenko was on the pitch for Dynamo. Roberto Carlos played for Fenerbahce. Last week’s first leg in Lodz, Poland, was of course also the last encounter. In the 0-0 draw, the Turks also failed to win against Kiev for the first time. Maybe they will get their first win on Wednesday.
Fenerbahce – Dynamo Kiev Tip
Fenerbahce may be in the midst of a rebuild, but with coach Jorge Jesus in charge, they should make it to the Champions League group stage. The way to the playoffs seems at least feasible, but for that they first have to eliminate Dynamo Kiev. Emotionally, this is certainly not an easy task, but from a sporting point of view, it would be surprising if the Ukrainians reached the next round.
The first leg was the first competitive match for Mircea Lucescu’s team after more than half a year out of action. The 0-0 draw showed that the Ukrainians still have a lot of room for improvement.
The Ukrainians will put everything into this encounter, but we think once the Turks break the spell with a goal, it could even be an emphatic affair. We can imagine a bet on a handicap victory for the home side, but in the end our decision goes in the direction of playing the betting odds on an easy home win between Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev.
