Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Thursday’s football game at Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium pits together Aris and Dynamo Kyiv, the two teams who are vying for a spot in the Conference League final qualifying round. Aris defeated Ararat-Armenia in the return leg thanks to Fabiano’s goal, but they are seen as underdogs in the double-header with Dynamo Kyiv. There are no fresh injury concerns in the home team ahead of the first leg in Thessaloniki.
The Ukrainians, on the other hand, kicked off the new domestic campaign in style, with the team beating both Minaj (4-1) and Obolon (4-2) and given Aris’ attacking potential when playing on home soil, we believe that both teams to score betting option should be considered. A man to keep an eye on in the away team will be returnee Andriy Yarmolenko, who scored a brace in the last league match.
Highlighted Player (Andriy Yarmolenko):
Arguably the most exciting Ukrainian player at the moment, Andriy Yarmolenko is the 26-year-old forward, who can play wide as a winger and fill in numerous positions in attack. Over the past few years there has been a gathering feeling that the player has outgrown the Ukrainian League and that with the player surpassing the 200-game mark for Dynamo Kyiv Yarmolenko should be heading west to Europe’s brighter stage.
Wanted and scouted by Spanish giants Barcelona, Yarmolenko attracted interest from many other clubs, predominantly from the Premier League, and was even close to joining Everton in summer 2016, but the Goodison outfit’s offer came too late to the Ukrainian club.
Talented forward is a free-scoring machine who has already scored more than 115 goals for the club he spent his entire career with. The two-footed winger is equally adept through the middle and is a versatile force that would be a good addition to any self-respecting European side.
Yarmolenko made hi Ukraine debut in 2009 and has so far been capped 63 times, during which he scored 26 goals for the national set-up.
Highlighted Team (Dynamo Kyiv):
The most successful football club in Ukraine, Dynamo Kyiv has not been relegated to a lower division since its inception in 1927. First founded as a part of the Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, Dynamo Kyiv became a member of the Ukrainian Premier League after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Over the course of its rich history, Dynamo Kyiv has won the total of 28 national titles, 13 of which came during the Soviet era. In addition, Dynamo Kyiv won 20 national cup competitions, while it also grabbed 3 major continental trophies, including two UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups. Oleh Blokhin remains to this date the most successful player of the Ukrainian giants with his 266 goals scored for the Kyiv club.
However, current Ukraine national team head coach Andriy Shevchenko is arguably the most recognisable player in Dynamo Kyiv history. Former Milan and Chelsea star scored the total of 124 goal during his two stints with the Ukrainian club.