Our prediction for this Champions League match:
All eyes will be on Arena Lubin when Dynamo Kiev and Partizan go head to head in a highly-anticipated Champions League qualifier. Dynamo Kiev failed to win the Ukrainian Premier League last term, with the team finishing the process two points behind champions Shakhtar Donetsk, but they are still seen as favourites to win this double-header. The likes of Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, Valentyn Rubchynskyi, Aleksandre Peikrishvili, and Maksym Bragaru have joined the club in the summer transfer window.
The Serbian vice-champions, on the other hand, have been in Crvena Zvezda’s shadow in recent year, but the arrival of new boss Aleksandar Stanojevic gave Partizan fans a reason for optimism. The Black and Whites kicked off the new domestic campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Napredak and we predict that they will make life difficult for Dynamo Kiev as well. Taking everything into account, the share of spoils is on the cards in Lublin. The good news for Partizan fans is that the club chiefs managed to keep hold of key attacker Saldanha, who sealed the victory at the weekend.
Highlighted Team (Partizan):
Partizan are a Serbian football club founded by Yugoslav People’s Army on October 4, 1945. The Crno-beli (Black and Whites) play their home games at Partizan Stadium and the capacity of the venue is 32.710. During the 20th century Partizan were in the shadow of their bitterest rivals Crvena zvezda, who won the European Cup in 1991, but nowadays the Crno-beli are the dominant force in the Serbian Super League, with the team winning their 11th domestic trophy of the 21st century in the 2016/2017 season.
Partizan face Crvena Zvezda in Veciti derbi (Eternal derby) which is considered one of the greatest derbies in the world. Speaking of the club’s European success, Partizan did well to make it to the European Cup final in the 1965/1966 season, but Real Madrid proved to be a big catch for the Serbian champions in the title game at Heysel Stadium.
The likes of Predrag Mijatovic, Miroslav Djukic, Savo Milosevic, Danko Lazovic, Stevan Jovetic, Matija Nastasic, Albert Nadj, Mateja Kezman and Adem Ljajic are the notable footballers who played for Partizan in the past.