Sunday, July 20

[monks data]

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Champions League clash between Hamrun Spartans and Dynamo Kiev, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Bidding to end a three-year exile from the Champions League proper, Dynamo Kiev commence their qualifying quest on Tuesday, when they battle Hamrun Spartans in the first leg of their second-round tie.

The Ukrainian powerhouses earned a bye into the second stage, but their Maltese hosts had to triumph in an epic penalty shootout with Zalgiris to make it this far.

---

Match preview

Coming so close yet so far to a Champions League berth in the 2024-25 season, Dynamo Kiev reached the final preliminary round just over 12 months ago, but a 3-1 aggregate loss to Red Bull Salzburg relegated them to Europa League football.

What followed in the continent's secondary competition was nothing short of disastrous for the Blue & Whites, who lost each of their first six Europa League games - scoring only once - before finally stopping the rut with a 3-3 draw versus Galatasaray.

Dynamo restored some pride on the final league phase matchday by edging past RFS, but the damage had been done long ago, and the Ukrainians bowed out having finished 34th in the 36-team table.

However, by virtue of winning their 17th Ukrainian Premier League title last season, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's men have another shot at UCL qualification, and it has been 20 years since they were last knocked out this early.

Preparations have gone far from smoothly for the Blue and Whites, though, as they triumphed in just one of their six pre-season friendlies leading up to the first leg, a sequence that included a 1-1 draw with Championship side West Bromwich Albion.

A penalty shootout to rival England vs. Sweden at the Women's European Championships, Hamrun Spartans and Zalgiris played out a 12-yard battle for the ages after an equally enthralling Champions League first-round qualifying contest.

The Maltese outfit suffered a 2-0 first-leg defeat before triumphing by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture, where no fewer than 21 spot kicks were needed to settle the score after extra time.

With the Ta' Qali crowd behind them, Giacomo Modica's men heroically defeated their Lithuanian foes 11-10 on penalties to reach round two of UCL qualifying for the first time in its current format.

The 11-time Maltese Premier League champions have therefore already earned a slice of club history, and success on spot kicks tasted all the sweeter following the events of last year, where they lost on penalties to Lincoln FC in the first round of Champions League qualifying.

Hamrun were subsequently beaten by FC Ballkani in the second round of the Conference League qualifiers in 2024, and in spite of Dynamo's underwhelming pre-season form, a Maltese miracle will be required if they are to upset the Ukrainians.

Hamrun Spartans Champions League form:

W W

Dynamo Kiev friendlies form:

L W L D D L

---

Team News

Still going strong at the age of 35, former West Ham United attacker Andriy Yarmolenko - who netted 12 goals in all competitions last season - headlines the Dynamo squad and should start on the right of a 4-3-3 shape.

Yarmolenko ought to provide support to prolific striker Vladyslav Vanat, who took home the Ukrainian Premier League Golden Boot with an unrivalled 17 goals in the 2024-25 campaign and was previously linked with a move to Sunderland.

Midfield fulcrum Mykola Shaparenko was sent off in Dynamo's last friendly - a 1-0 loss to Osijek of Croatia - but that dismissal means nothing for this game.

As far as Hamrun are concerned, Swiss winger Merlin Hadzi had to be withdrawn after just 22 minutes of the second leg against Zalgiris, although it is not known whether that change was enforced or tactical.

The former is more likely, so it would not be a surprise to see Modica make an attacking alteration for the first leg; Saliou Thioune should be first in line after coming off the bench to score last time out.

Hamrun Spartans possible starting lineup:

Bonello; Compri, Bjelicic, Polito, Camenzuli; Mbong, Cadjenovic, Simkus, Ederson; Thioune; Koffi

Dynamo Kiev possible starting lineup:

Neshcheret; Karavaev, Mykhavko, Bilovar, Dubinchak; Shaparenko, Brazhko, Buyalskyi; Yarmolenko, Vanat, Kabaev

---

We say: Hamrun Spartans 1-3 Dynamo Kiev

 

Dynamo Kiev's friendly form is no cause for optimism, but the embryonic and experienced quality in the visitors' ranks should come to the fore nonetheless.

Hamrun can expect some joy in front of goal, but expect the hosts to be overwhelmed in their own defensive third as the Ukrainian heavyweights ease to a straightforward first-leg triumph.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

---

---

 

---

ID:577653:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7234:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

---

Collect / Create New Data