Looking to distance themselves from the role of continental whipping boys, Dynamo Kiev will welcome Viktoria Plzen to Volksparkstadion in Germany for a Europa League clash on Thursday night.
The Blue and Whites are yet to collect a point in the League Phase of this competition, whereas Viktoriani are striving to extend their unbeaten run in the section to five matches.
Match preview
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After finishing two points off the summit of the Ukrainian Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign, Dynamo Kiev have enjoyed a sensational start to the current domestic season, with Thursday's hosts unbeaten across their first 13 top-flight matches, dropping just four points.
That being said, the Blue and Whites have undeniably failed to convert their dominance on the domestic scene onto the European stage after losing each of their first four Europa League matches by an embarrassing aggregate scoreline of 10-0.
The first-half dismissal of left-back Vladyslav Dubinchak arguably decided the course of Dynamo Kiev's most recent continental match on November 7, when a second-period brace from Barnabas Varga made the headlines as Hungarian giants Ferencvaros recorded a 4-0 victory at Volksparkstadion.
As a result of their pointless beginning to the Europa League term, the Blue and Whites are currently rooted to the bottom of the 36-team standings at the midway point, with matches against Plzen, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray and Latvia minnows Rigas Futbola Skola scheduled before the end of January.
Netting four goals and providing six assists across 10 Ukrainian Premier League fixtures so far in 2024-25, Mykola Shaparenko will need to start performing on the European stage if Dynamo Kiev wish to earn a top-24 spot, with the 26-year-old a star player for both club and country.
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Since the shock one-goal defeat to FC Slovacko in the Czech top flight at the beginning of the month, Viktoria Plzen have managed to get their November schedule back on track in considerable style, recording three straight wins across all competitions either side of the international break.
Viktoriani's most recent outing in the Europa League arrived at home against La Liga side Real Sociedad on November 7, when a 90th-minute winner from substitute striker Daniel Vasulin secured the hosts' maiden win of the League Phase at the expense of Imanol Alguacil's Spaniards.
Owing partly to their three-game run of draws at the start of the competition, Viktoria Plzen are one of eight teams who are still unbeaten at the halfway point of the League Phase, with Thursday's visitors to Hamburg sitting in 16th, three points adrift of the top eight.
Only away matches involving Norwegian side Elfsborg (12) have produced more goals than Viktoriani's outings so far in the Europa League, with the Czech powerhouses sharing the spoils at both Eintracht Frankfurt and PAOK following six and four-goal thrillers respectively.
Finding the net during that goal-laden contest against 2022 Europa League winners Frankfurt in September, Pavel Sulc has been a standout star for Viktoria Plzen so far this season, chipping in with 11 goal contributions across 23 competitive appearances during 2024-25.
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Team News
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After seeing red during the opening stages of the heavy defeat to Ferencvaros, Dynamo Kiev defender Dubinchak is suspended for Thursday night's clash.
As a result, the Blue and Whites will require a new face at left-back, with Kostyantyn Vivcharenko representing the most likely candidate for that role.
The hosts' options in the defence are further limited by the absence of Brayan Ceballos, who has not featured so far in November due to a muscle injury.
A source of creativity in recent years for Viktoria Plzen, veteran wing-back Jan Sykora is yet to kick a competitive ball this term because of an injury.
Scoring four goals across nine league fixtures in 2024-25, Prince Adu has made a solid start to the current season but is currently unavailable owing to personal reasons.
Dynamo Kiev possible starting lineup:
Buschan; Bilovar, Popov, Mykhavko; Karavaev, Brazhko, Shaparenko, Vivcharenko; Buyalskyi, Kabayev, Vanat
Viktoria Plzen possible starting lineup:
Jedlicka; Paluska, Markovic, Jemelka; Havel, Cerv, Kalvach, Sulc, Cadu; Jirka, Vasulin
We say: Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Viktoria Plzen
Pointless after four games of the League Phase, Dynamo Kiev will be desperate to earn a positive result in Hamburg on Thursday night.
Consequently, we are expecting a valiant effort from the Blue and Whites, one that should be enough to force Viktoria Plzen to share the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
