Kyiv side have no room for error. Dynamo Kyiv - LNZ Cherkasy match prediction
LNZ Cherkasy
Dynamo Kyiv and LNZ will meet on Sunday, 6 September, in the fifth round of the Ukrainian Premier League. The match will be played at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Stadium in Kyiv, with kick-off at 17:00 CET. I am backing a winner in this game.
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H2H and statistical facts
- Dynamo have already suffered four defeats in nine matches in the new season.
- The Kyiv side have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven games.
- LNZ have won just one of their previous seven away matches, scoring only one goal during that run.
- The teams have met six times: three Dynamo wins, two draws and one LNZ victory.
Dynamo began the new league campaign with two victories. In the opening round, the Kyiv side were due to face Livyi Bereh, but the match was postponed, meaning the team effectively began their season in the second round. Away to Veres, Dynamo won 2-1 before beating Kolos 2-1 at home. Six points from two matches allowed the capital club to make a confident start to the title race, although it was already clear that the defence was not always operating without mistakes.
After that, Dynamo encountered much more serious problems. In the fourth round, the Kyiv side travelled to Kamianets-Podilskyi to face Bukovyna and suffered a shock 3-0 defeat. Ihor Kostiuk's team made several costly errors, with two of the goals conceded directly linked to mistakes by the goalkeeper. As a result, after three league matches Dynamo have six points and a 4:5 goal difference. This is clearly not the start expected from one of the main championship favourites.
The congested start to the season also needs to be taken into account. Dynamo competed in the Europa League qualifiers, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to PAOK, going down 2-3 at home and 0-2 in Greece. The Kyiv side then continued their European campaign in the Conference League qualifiers, facing Qarabag in the third round. The first leg in Lublin ended in a 1-0 Dynamo victory thanks to a goal from Matvii Ponomarenko, but the return leg in Baku saw the team lose 0-2 and bring their European campaign to an end.
Following their European exit, Dynamo can now focus exclusively on the domestic championship. On the one hand, the absence of European fixtures should help the team recover physically and work calmly on their mistakes. On the other, the defeat by Qarabag followed by the heavy loss in Chernivtsi has seriously affected the team's confidence and put head coach Ihor Kostiuk's position under pressure.
LNZ, unlike Dynamo, began the league campaign without a win in their first two rounds. In their opening match, the Cherkasy side drew 0-0 with Bukovyna before suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Karpaty. LNZ then beat Chornomorets 2-0 at home.
However, LNZ were unable to build on that victory. In the fourth round, the Cherkasy club hosted Veres and surprisingly lost 1-0. The only goal decided the match, while LNZ once again failed to find the net.
A historic European campaign has been one of the most important aspects of LNZ's current season. The Cherkasy side played in Conference League qualifying for the first time in their history, facing Belgian club Gent in the second round. Both matches ended 0-0, with LNZ producing a highly organised defensive display. The teams failed to score in extra time of the second leg either, and Gent eventually prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
The European experience cannot be considered a failure for LNZ. The team not only made their first appearance on the international stage, but also kept two clean sheets against a strong Belgian opponent. Moreover, LNZ finished second in the Ukrainian Premier League last season.
What to bet on?
Dynamo need to make amends for the 3-0 defeat by Bukovyna, and home advantage could prove decisive. The Kyiv side are objectively stronger in terms of individual quality, while after the end of their European campaign the team have more time for recovery and preparation. Both sides have suffered an obvious dip in form following their European exits, and another setback could prove unforgivable for Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk. With that in mind, I expect Dynamo to give everything and claim all three points — they simply have no room for another slip-up.
