Pafos FC Stuns Dynamo Kyiv in champions league Qualifier First Leg
lublin,Poland – Cypriot side Pafos FC secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying second round tie,played in lublin,Poland. The match, held away from kyiv due to the ongoing war, saw a late goal from Anderson secure a valuable away win for Pafos, putting them in a strong position heading into the return leg.
Champions League Qualification: A Pathway to Europe’s Elite
The Champions League qualifying rounds are a series of knockout ties that determine which clubs will join Europe’s top teams in the lucrative and prestigious group stage. For clubs like Dynamo Kyiv and Pafos FC, navigating these early rounds is vital for both sporting achievement and financial stability. Polish champions are also navigating these rounds, with their potential opponents resolute by the outcome of matches like this one. The draw initially placed Dynamo Kyiv against Pafos, considered a challenging but not insurmountable hurdle, falling between a possibly easier tie (Skendija Tetowo vs. AGDAM Karabach) and a more difficult one (FC Basel). Interestingly, the loser of the Lech Poznań – Crvena Zvezda tie faces a potentially tougher opponent in Belgian side Genk in the next round.
Dynamo Kyiv, the reigning Ukrainian league champions, began their domestic season with a 1-0 win over Veres Rivne.Their squad boasts experienced players like former west Ham and Borussia dortmund midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko, and Wladyslav Vanat, a two-time top scorer in the ukrainian league. Pafos, meanwhile, achieved a historic championship win in Cyprus last season and features players with Premier League experience, including Mislav Orić (formerly of Southampton) and ken Sema (formerly of Watford, with over 170 appearances in the Premier League and Championship).
The first half in Lublin proved a tightly contested affair,with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. Pafos registered the only two shots on target,while Dynamo’s inaccurate attempts,notably a 36th-minute strike from Wladyslav Dubinczak that hit the post and a 42nd-minute effort from Vanat,proved arguably more threatening.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with limited opportunities. Yarmolenko came close in the 55th minute, hitting the post, but the major talking point arrived in the 62nd minute. Dynamo were initially awarded a penalty after Derrick Luckassen was adjudged to have fouled Vanat. Though, the decision was overturned following a VAR review, with the referee determining Vanat had initiated the contact.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 84th minute, but in a devastating fashion for Dynamo. Pafos scored from a corner kick awarded to Dynamo, launching a swift counter-attack that Anderson finished with composure and precision.
This late goal proved decisive, giving Pafos a 1-0 led to take back to Cyprus for the second leg. They now control their own destiny in the tie.
Dynamo Kyiv – Pafos FC 0-1 (Anderson 84′)
