First and foremost, we would like to extend our thoughts to the people of Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict against Russia.
Palace’s blistering 18 game unbeaten run reaches the UEFA Conference League as the side travels to Poland to take on Dynamo Kyiv for our first ever appearance in the competition.
Our first opponents come into the fixture in good domestic form, with two wins and three draws in their last five games. Historically present in European competition, Dynamo Kyiv won the Cup Winners Cup (1975 & 1986) along with the UEFA Super Cup (1975). Since then, consecutive appearances in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League have made them ever present in Europe.
We caught up with the guys at the Dynamo Abroad Podcast to gain an insight into the side, current form, thoughts about the tie and more…
TEB: Palace’s first competitive match in UEFA competition sees them visit Lublin, Poland to play Dynamo Kyiv in the Conference League. A first ever meeting between our two sides, what are your thoughts on the tie?
DAP: I believe Palace will be a great test for Dynamo Kyiv. While we have an illustrious history in European football, this current side is far from those great sides of the 70s, 80s or 90s. Palace are having a fantastic season in the Premier League, fresh off of an FA Cup victory. Palace are the favourites and, being realistic, I do not expect them to struggle against this current Dynamo side, particularly the way they defend.
TEB: How was last season for Dynamo overall?
DAP: The 2024/25 season for Dynamo needs to be looked at in two different ways. Firstly, from a domestic perspective, it’s hard to complain about a season where you win the league without losing a game. The only blemish would be the domestic cup final loss on penalties to Shakhtar Donetsk.
The European campaign started off with an absolute rout of Partizan Belgrade 9-2 on aggregate. Followed by a tough tie against Rangers, but a 2-0 win on the road at Hampden saw Dynamo advance 3-1 on aggregate. The Champions League dream ended with a 3-1 loss to Red Bull Salzburg.
Dynamo’s attempt at Europa League glory was an incredibly forgetful campaign and one we could argue set the tone for the level of play in Europe this year. An abysmal performance without much to say. The highlights were match days 7 and 8 with a wild 3-3 draw against Galatasaray and a 1-0 win against RFS from Latvia.
TEB: Currently sitting second in the Ukrainian Premier League, Dynamo come into the game in good form. What kind of match are you expecting to see?
DAP: I am expecting to see Dynamo try to sit back and contain Palace. The only issue with this strategy is that Dynamo can hardly defend, conceding seven goals in the last three Ukrainian Premier League games. Dynamo will try to play once they get possession, but this often leads to problems when trying to build out from the back and can lead to moments for Palace to attack in quick transitions if they win the ball in the Dynamo half.
TEB: Are there any wildcards in the squad that you feel will step up and make an impact against Palace?
DAP: Dynamo have always done a great job promoting youth players to the first team. Unfortunately, it seems that the current manager Shovkovskyi reverts to well established players. The main wildcard is young Nigerian winger, Shola Ogundana, signed from Flamengo. He brings pace and directness that was much needed for this Dynamo side. He is still quite young, but a game winning goal in the cup against Oleksandriya recently will surely boost his confidence.
TEB: Does it have much of an effect on the team playing in Lublin for European matches?
DAP: I believe it does because it will always be difficult to replace the atmosphere created by the supporters at our traditional home, the NSC Olympiskyi stadium in Kyiv, that can hold up to 70,000 supporters. Travel of course does not help either. Fortunately for this tie the team does not have to travel as much seeing as they just played in Lviv, only about 220 kilometers from Lublin.
TEB: Palace head into this fixture 18 games unbeaten, levelling our best ever form. What are your thoughts on Palace and how do you feel we will fare in this campaign?
DAP: It is hard not to be impressed by Palace. Not even just this version of the club under Oliver Glasner following the FA Cup win and occupying third in the table after match day six. Massive credit is due to the club as a whole after 13 consecutive top flight seasons. With the amount of money flying around, especially at the top clubs nowadays, it is a big accomplishment to not only be in the top flight for this long, but to start pushing for trophies and for positions higher up the table.
TEB: Ambitions for the season?
DAP: Domestically the goal is to achieve a domestic double. The Ukrainian Premier league is very tight to begin this season with Shaktar dropping points, as well as Dynamo. The biggest talking points from Ukraine football this season has to be the Ukrainian Cup. The Federation changed the format allowing regional cup winners to enter and this has been the best Ukrainian Cup ever. We are currently in the Round of 16 phase, where a maximum of three Ukrainian Premier league sides will be able to qualify for the quarter finals. Dynamo were drawn in the round of 16 against Shakhtar. In my opinion, whoever wins this tie will go on to win the cup.
In Europe, the main goal for Dynamo is to not be embarrassed. Despite winning the league last season, there is overall a negative mood at the football club at the moment. Former player and academy director, Artem Kravets, recently resigned from his position in the academy due to supposed corruption and the overall regression of the club due to poor management under president Igor Surkis. A few wins and knockout stage football would be viewed as a success for Dynamo at this moment.
TEB: Expectations for the game including final score prediction?
DAP: As much as my heart wants to say, Dynamo will show off a classic performance where the players represent the club based on its historic achievements. I need to be realistic and anything short of a comfortable Palace victory will be a shock. While Dynamo has an overall solid midfield, and some interesting pieces in attack, will not have enough strength particularly in defence. I believe Dynamo will find a way to get a goal, but it will not be enough. I am going to predict a comfortable 4-1 victory for Palace.
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