Dynamo Kyiv take on the visitors Viktoria Plzen in the round 5 match of UEFA Europa League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, November 28th at Volksparkstadion (Hamburg).
Dynamo Kyiv is enduring a disappointing Europa League campaign. The team showed improvement under legendary goalkeeper-turned-coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, who lifted them out of a slump under former manager Mircea Lucescu. Shovkovskyi guided Dynamo to a second-place finish in the Ukrainian Premier League last season, earning a chance to compete in the Champions League. In the qualifiers, Dynamo started strong, routing Partizan and defeating Rangers, thanks in part to an early red card for the Scottish side in Glasgow. However, a loss to Red Bull Salzburg ended their Champions League aspirations, relegating them to the Europa League. In this tournament, Dynamo’s performances have been woeful: a heavy defeat to Lazio's experimental lineup; a loss to Hoffenheim, despite the German side being in poor form; fielding a reserve squad against Roma in preparation for a key domestic clash with Shakhtar; a lopsided defeat to Ferencváros while playing with 10 men. Shovkovskyi has prioritized domestic success, where Dynamo is vying for the Ukrainian Premier League title, over European progress, contributing to their lackluster results in the Europa League.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Viktoria Plzeň has been a solid presence in Czech football, trailing only the Prague powerhouses, Slavia and Sparta. They finished second in the domestic league last season and currently sit behind Slavia in the standings. In Europe, Plzeň has been consistent and impressive: they overcame Kryvbas from Ukraine in Europa League qualifiers (2-1, 1-0); they dispatched Hearts in the next round without much trouble; in the group stage, Viktoria started with draws against Eintracht Frankfurt, Ludogorets, and PAOK but secured a significant victory over Real Sociedad at home in their latest outing. This result demonstrates the Czech side's ability to rise to the occasion against tough opposition. The two sides have only met in friendly matches, with draws in 2015 and a Dynamo victory (2-0) in 2018.
While Dynamo Kyiv is favored on paper, their Europa League form suggests otherwise. Viktoria Plzeň has displayed greater consistency and resilience in the competition, highlighted by their recent win over Real Sociedad. Dynamo’s focus on domestic priorities and their underwhelming European performances make an upset by the visitors a plausible outcome. Viktoria Plzeň will likely play compactly and focus on counterattacking, exploiting Dynamo’s shaky defense. Meanwhile, Dynamo will try to dominate possession but may struggle to break down Plzeň's organized backline.
Prediction for the match: Viktoria Plzeň to win with a "Draw No Bet" option (Asian Handicap 0).
