Crystal Palace are set to travel to Poland to take on Dynamo Kyiv in their UEFA Europa Conference League opener at the Lublin Arena.
Crystal Palace will be looking to build on their impressive start to the new season when they square off against Dynamo Kyiv, who have been a touch disappointing in recent weeks. The Eagles will be hoping to secure their first-ever win in a major European competition, while the Ukrainian outfit will try to script an upset.
The home team are 2nd in the Ukrainian Premier League with 15 points in their seven outings, thanks to four wins and three draws. While their overall form has been pretty good, they are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive draws.
Their most recent outing ended in a 3-3 draw against FC Karpaty Lviv. Heading into their first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League fixture, Dynamo will need to deliver a much sharper and more disciplined performance if they are to stand any chance against the Eagles.
While the visitors were disappointed to be relegated to the Conference League by UEFA for breaching multi-club ownership rules, they will be hoping to put it behind them and start with a win when they face Kyiv. Oliver Glasner’s men are third in the Premier League, with three wins and three draws in their six outings.
Oliver Glasner’s team are on a roll, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over defending champions Liverpool. While the Reds dominated the proceedings, the Eagles made the most out of their limited chances in the final third. The win will certainly give them a lot of confidence heading into this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Dynamo Kyiv
The home team will be without the services of Denys Popov. But apart from the 26-year-old Ukrainian defender, the hosts do not have any fresh injury concerns to worry about for the midweek UEFA Europa Conference League tie.
Against Crystal Palace, Dynamo Kyiv will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Ruslan Neshcheret will take charge in goal. Oleksandr Karavayev and Vladyslav Dubinchak will feature as the full-backs, while Taras Mykhavko will pair up with Kristian Bilovar in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Oleksandr Pikhalyonok will start alongside Mykola Mykhaylenko and Vitaliy Buyalskyi in the centre of the park. The trio will look to ensure Palace midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.
In the final third, Andriy Yarmolenko and Nazar Voloshyn could provide width to their attacks, while Eduardo Guerrero will lead the line for Dynamo Kyiv against Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Neshcheret; Karavayev, Bilovar, Mykhavko, Dubinchak; Pikhalyonok, Mykhaylenko, Buyalskyi; Yarmolenko, Guerrero, Voloshyn
Crystal Palace
The visitors will be without the services of Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, and Caleb Kporha, who are all out injured. Meanwhile, Walter Benitez is yet to fully recover from a finger dislocation.
Against Dynamo Kyiv, Crystal Palace will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Dean Henderson in goal. Marc Guehi will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards in the heart of the defence.
Daniel Munoz and Borna Sosa will feature as the wing-backs, while Will Hughes will pair up with Adam Wharton in a more central role. The quartet will look to keep things tight and ensure they dominate the ball.
Yeremy Pino and Justin Devenny will be the two attacking midfielders behind Jean-Philippe Mateta, who will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa; Devenny, Pino; Mateta
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace have not lost any of their last 18 league games (W8 D10).
- The Eagles are all set to face Dynamo Kyiv for the first time in their history.
- The Ukrainian outfit have lost 16 out of their last 30 games against English teams (W5 D9).
- In four out of Crystal Palace’s last five games, more goals were scored in the second half than in the first.
- In seven of Dynamo Kyiv’s last eight games, both teams have found the back of the net, with each match producing three or more goals.
Player to Watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta
The 28-year-old French striker enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, registering 17 goals and four assists in 46 appearances. Mateta will be determined to build on those performances this time around.
The former Mainz striker has already netted four goals in the new season, and he will be eager to make his mark in the UEFA Europa Conference League opener. Known for stepping up in crucial moments, Mateta has a strong chance of being a decisive figure in this fixture.
Prediction
Dynamo Kyiv 0-2 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace will be full of confidence after their impressive win over Liverpool, and Oliver Glasner’s men will look to carry that momentum into their European campaign. With Jean-Philippe Mateta in fine form and the Eagles proving difficult to break down defensively, they will fancy their chances of starting the Conference League with a statement win.
Dynamo Kyiv, meanwhile, have shown plenty of fight in the Ukrainian Premier League, but their tendency to concede goals could be their undoing against a clinical Palace side. While they will look to rely on their home support and experienced figures like Yarmolenko, the gulf in quality is likely to show over ninety minutes. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
