Dynamo Kiev are back in the big time. After a 17-year absence, the Ukrainian giants have once again reached the Champions League knockout phase. However, they’ll be big +325 underdogs to go any further as they face a star-studded Manchester City team eager to finally end their underachieving days in the Champions League.
Read on below for a complete breakdown of this first leg tie. Meanwhile, check out more Champions League Round of 16 action with our previews of Juventus vs. Bayern Munich and Arsenal vs. Barcelona.
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Dynamo Kiev vs. Manchester City Preview
Where: Olympic Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Wednesday, February 24, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Dynamo Kiev +239 vs. Manchester City +103, tie +210; total 2.5 – view all UEFA Champions League lines
Betting on Dynamo Kiev
It’s been a while since Dynamo Kiev last tasted defeat. After losing to Chelsea in London on Nov. 4, the Ukrainians went on to win their next six games in a row, which included wins over Porto in Portugal and at home against Maccabi Tel-Aviv to seal qualification in Group G.
Kiev haven’t played a competitive game since that 1-0 win against Maccabi due to the Ukrainian Premier League’s long winter break, but at least they’ll get to play in front of their home fans in the first leg.
They had been ordered to play behind closed doors for three European games because of their fans’ bad behavior, but the punishment has been reduced to just a single game, which means they’re free to host Manchester City with a capacity 70,000 crowd cheering them on.
Dynamo held English champions Chelsea to a 0-0 draw in their visit to Kiev during the group stage, and the Ukrainians will likely be on the defensive against City. But Dynamo had one of the best defensive records in the group stage, with just four goals conceded in six games.
Meanwhile, they can call on Andriy Yarmolenko to provide a bit of quality in attack. The sought-after 26-year-old has eight goals in 15 league games, as well as two in five in the Champions League.
The last time Dynamo Kiev met Manchester City in European competition, the Ukrainians knocked City out of the Europa League Round of 16 in 2011. Dynamo won 2-0 in the home leg.
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Betting on Manchester City
This season will be Manuel Pellegrini’s last as Manchester City manager, and his failure to end City’s Champions League hoodoo was probably a major factor in that change. Pellegrini’s teams have stumbled in this stage of the competition in the past two seasons. In fairness to them, though, they faced Barcelona on both occasions.
City did look very good at times during the group stages this season. They won four of six games to top Group D ahead of last year’s losing finalists Juventus despite losing both games to the Italians. City performed pretty admirably away from home, though. They thrashed Borussia Monchengladbach 4-2 and Sevilla 3-1 in their other two away outings.
After suffering two key losses in a row at home against their top English Premier League title rivals, it could do City some good to get away from the Etihad.
Sergio Aguero featured in just two games during the group stage due to injury, but he’s fit and in form now, which should greatly improve City’s chances of claiming a crucial away goal. Aguero has scored 10 goals in 11 games in all competitions this calendar year.
Writer’s Prediction
Aguero and City take care of business with a 2-1 away win over Dynamo.
