Hamrun take on the visitors Dynamo Kyiv in the first leg of UEFA Champions League Qualification round of quarterfinals. The match will be played on Tuesday, July 22nd at Tony Bezzina Stadium (Paola).
Ħamrun Spartans have had flashes of success before, but in recent seasons they’ve truly become the flagbearers of Maltese football. Since 2021 — after a 30-year title drought — they’ve claimed four Premier League trophies, including a dramatic championship win last season. Despite finishing the regular stage in fourth place, they triumphed in the decisive mini-tournament format. That resilience carried into their recent Champions League qualifier against Žalgiris Vilnius. After a 0–2 loss in the first leg, many wrote them off, but they fought back with a 2–0 home win and edged out the Lithuanians 11–10 in a marathon penalty shootout. That comeback showed both mental toughness and squad depth, especially in high-pressure situations.
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Dynamo Kyiv are just beginning their new season. The White-and-Blues ended the Mircea Lucescu era with a third-place finish, but quickly transitioned under club legend Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. Initially appointed as interim coach, he reclaimed the team’s dominance domestically — returning to second in 2024, then going unbeaten to win the Ukrainian Premier League last season. However, their European campaign raised concerns: after confidently beating Partizan, they were eliminated by Red Bull Salzburg in Champions League qualifying and later underperformed in the Europa League group stage. They also lost the domestic cup final to Shakhtar Donetsk on penalties. While Shakhtar have since strengthened their squad, Dynamo head into the 2025/26 season with a roster largely unchanged from last year — a potential risk as the schedule intensifies.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Maltese and Ukrainian giants. While Dynamo’s form may fade later in the season as it did last year, they usually start strong. Expect Shovkovskyi’s men to win with at least a one-goal margin.
Prediction for the match: Dynamo Kyiv to win with -1.0 handicap.
