FK Jablonec host Dynamo Kyiv on matchday 2

FK Jablonec host Dynamo Kyiv on matchday 2

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv – Thursday, October 4, 20:00 BST/21:00 CEST – Stadion Střelnice, Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv will take place at the Strelnice Stadion (Photo by EuroFootball/Getty Images)

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv will take place at the Strelnice Stadion (Photo by EuroFootball/Getty Images)

After an entertaining series of matches in their respective domestic leagues, Czech club FK Jablonec will host Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Europa League Group Stage’s Matchday 2. Having earned poor results on Matchday 1, both sides will look for a positive result in this Group K fixture.

Jablonec will be heartbroken not to have stolen a point against Rennes in France. After equalizing in the 54 minute, the Czechs sought to close out the match with a vital draw. A collapse in focus, however, saw them concede a penalty at the dying moments of the match, and they eventually lost 2-1.

Jablonec have also struggled domestically. The club currently sits in sixth in the Czech First League, having played nine matches. They have won four matches, drew once and lost their remaining four league matches. Moreover, they have scored 14 goals while conceding 10, thus they face some defensive frailties at the back.

Nonetheless, this European fixture will provide them with an opportunity to bounce back within their group. Should they manage to fix some of their defensive errors, they will certainly have an opportunity to progress out of the competition’s Group Stage.

Dynamo Kyiv, however, will have other plans. The Ukrainians currently sit in second place in the Ukrainian Premier Liha. Dynamo have won six of their opening nine matches, have drawn twice and lost once. They also scored 12 goals while only conceding four, indicating that they are defensively well composed.

Nonetheless, they will need to translate this domestic performance in the European competition as well. Having gone up 2-1 at halftime against Kazakh side Astana, the Ukrainians were unable to kill of the match in the second half. As a result of a series of missed chances, they allowed Astana to equalize in the 90+5 minute, and thus the points were shared.

Should the Ukrainians hope to progress out of the Europa League Group Stage, they will need to stay focused throughout the entirety of a match. Otherwise, should they continue to make these defensive errors, they will surely be eliminated from the international competition

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv – Players to Watch:

Michal Trávník #10 – FK Jablonec

The Czech midfielder will be familiar with some of the Ukrainian opposition. Having played for the Czech national team in the UEFA Nations League – League B Group 1 last month, the Czechs were defeated by a strong Ukrainian side. Trávník will hope to make amends for the national team’s loss, and by overcoming the visitors, this would allow his side to keep pace with the other opponents in the Europa League’s Group K.

Jablonec's Czech midfielder Michal Travnik (L) fights for the ball with Rennes' Senegalese forward MBaye Niang (R) during the Europa League C3 Group K football match between Rennes (Stade Rennais FC) and FK Jablonec at The Roazhon Park, in Rennes, northwestern France on September 20, 2018. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP)

Jablonec’s Czech midfielder Michal Travnik (L) fights for the ball with Rennes’ Senegalese forward MBaye Niang (R) during the Europa League C3 Group K football match between Rennes (Stade Rennais FC) and FK Jablonec at The Roazhon Park, in Rennes, northwestern France on September 20, 2018. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP)

Denys Boyko #71 – Dynamo Kyiv

The Ukrainian goalkeeper will be kicking himself for his performance in the competition’s first round. Having gone up 2-1 at halftime, it seemed as if the Ukrainians would record their first win in this season’s competition. His team’s poor defensive composure, however, allowed Astana to score a late equalizer in the 90+5 minute, and thus the points were shared. Should the Ukrainian outfit hope to progress out of the Group Stage, Denys Boyko will need to play significantly better in goal, as another series of poor performances could see his side bow out in the early stages of the competition.

Goalkeeper Denys Boyko will be key for Dynamo Kyiv. (ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

Goalkeeper Denys Boyko will be key for Dynamo Kyiv. (ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv – Match Stats

  • This is the first time these two sides will face one another in a European competition.
  • FK Jablonec have a fully fit squad, and it is likely they will field their strongest line up in this match.
  • Dynamo Kyiv are without Artem Beseydin, who is sidelined through injury.
  • This is the first time FK Jablonec have qualified for the UEFA Europa League, as they were eliminated during the qualification rounds in previous attempts.
  • Dynamo Kyiv were eliminated in the Round of 16 during the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League. Despite holding SS Lazio to a 2-2 draw in the first leg, they were defeated by the Italians 2-0 in the second leg and thus dumped out of the competition.

Futbolgrad Network Prediction: FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv – 1-2

FK Jablonec vs Dynamo Kyiv – Lineups

FK Jablonec

Formation: 4-4-2

Hrubý – Holeš, Hovorka, Lischka, Hanousek – Masopust, Trávník, Hübschman, Jovović – Chramosta, Doležal

Manager: Petr Flodrman

Dynamo Kyiv

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Boyko; Kędziora, Kádár, Burda, Pivarić; Sydorchuk, Buyalskiy; Tsyhankov, Harmash, Verbič; Rusyn

Manager: Alyaksandr Khatskevich


Mark Temnycky reports on the Ukrainian men’s national team and Ukrainian clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Outside of the Futbolgrad Network, he covers Manchester City for SB Nation’s Bitter and Blue. Follow him @MTem33

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