Dynamo Kyiv take on the visitors Pafos in the first leg of UEFA Champions League Qualification round of semifinals. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 5th at Motor Lublin Arena (Lublin).
Dynamo Kyiv, under the guidance of their legendary figure Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, managed to get the most out of a complicated 2024/2025 season. Shakhtar, the main favourite, suffered a long dip in form and eventually finished third. Meanwhile, Dynamo went unbeaten in the Ukrainian Premier League — an outstanding domestic campaign. However, they failed to reach the Champions League group stage and performed poorly in the Europa League. They also lost the Ukrainian Cup final to their arch-rivals, again via penalties. Despite a quiet transfer window, there's belief this squad can continue to improve. After the summer break, Dynamo returned with two convincing wins, but the level of opposition — Hamrun Spartans — was clearly below par. They wasted several chances in both legs, which could be a concern moving forward.
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Pafos are eager to surprise once again. The Blue and Whites were only founded in 2014 through the merger of local clubs, yet their rise has been quite remarkable. Under Juan Carlos Carcedo, the Cypriot side has taken serious strides, both domestically and in Europe. They lifted the Cypriot Cup in 2024, their first ever trophy, and followed it up by winning the national title the next season. Though they were heavily beaten by Elfsborg in the Europa League qualifiers (2-8 over two legs), they bounced back in the Conference League, making it all the way to the round of 16. There, they narrowly lost to another Swedish side — Djurgården. Now comes their Champions League debut, and they managed to eliminate Maccabi Tel Aviv in the previous round, thanks to a narrow 1-0 win after drawing at home. That tie turned in Pafos' favour when the Israeli side was reduced to ten men early in the second leg.
This will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs. Shovkovskyi’s men have looked sharp so far. Even on neutral ground, they are favourites to win — back Dynamo to take the victory.
Prediction for the match: Dynamo Kyiv to win.
