How teams spent the week between matches
On August 9, the Austrian Sturm and Dynamo Kyiv in the second leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League will determine the winner of a ticket to the qualifying playoffs. The favorites of the confrontation after a minimal victory in the first match in Łódź are the Kyivans, but today it will not be easy for them at the Merkur-Arena. Sport Arena tells how the teams spent a week after the first face-to-face match, and also announces the duel Sturm – Dynamo Kyiv, which will start at 21:30 in Graz.
Petrakov’s visit to Dynamo
After the first match with Sturm, Dynamo got a day off, and then continued training at their base in Lodz. One of them was visited by the head coach of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Petrakov.
The White and Blue went directly to Graz on Sunday afternoon.
Return of Tsygankov
One of the leaders of Dynamo missed the first match with Sturm, having been replaced even before the starting whistle: during the pre-match warm-up, Viktor felt discomfort in the adductor muscle.
As the official Dynamo website reported, the labs did not aggravate the situation, on the recommendation of the doctors he was given the opportunity to rest, and the football player missed the match. A few days later, Viktor began training on an individual program, and also went to Graz with Dynamo.
Misfire Sturm in the championship
Unlike Dynamo, who was forced to only train, Sturm gets regular practice in the national championship. True, after the defeat from the white-blues, the team from Graz stumbled in the Bundesliga as well. On Saturday, Storm away draw with reed (1:1) in the match of the third round Austrian Championship.
The team from Graz took the lead in the 11th minute of the meeting after Christoph Lang’s accurate shot. However, Sturm failed to bring the fight to victory.
In the 78th minute, Christophe Monschein converted a penalty and equalized the score in the match. Note that Reed bounced back in the minority – in the 62nd minute, Leo Mikich received a second yellow card.
Generally speaking, things are going relatively well for Sturm at the start of the championship: one win and two draws. Moreover, the team from Graz is one of three teams, along with LASK and Rapid, which have not yet lost in the current Bundesliga season.
Dutch Rookie Sturm
Last week, Sturm announced the signing of 19-year-old Dutch striker Emanuel Emego. In Sturm, the forward, who has seven matches (five goals) for the U-19 national team of his country, moved from Antwerp. The contract with the player was signed until 2026. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. At the same time, it is possible that Emega will play against Dynamo.
Can’t there be a full house?
Sturm’s home stadium, the Merkur-Arena, which recently bore the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger, can accommodate about 15,500 spectators. As of Tuesday morning, it was possible to purchase tickets for the match in almost any sector. Ticket prices range from 24 to 47 euros.
At the same time, the price of a ticket to the guest sector is 27 euros. A special box office for Ukrainian fans will be open on the day of the game from 10:00 am in the Sturm fan shop (address: Stadionplatz 1, 8041 Graz).
Slovak referee for the match Sturm – Dynamo
The main referee of today’s match will be Ivan Kruzhlyak representing Slovakia. He has been working in the matches of the top division of Slovakia, Tsorgon Liga, since 2010, and received the status of a FIFA referee in 2011.
Kruzhlyak worked three times at Dynamo matches in European competitions. Under his supervision, Dinamo in Rome played a draw with Lazio in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League 2017/2018. The following season, also in the Europa League, at the 1/16 final stage, they beat the Greek Olympiacos at home (1: 0), and in the 2020/2021 season in the Champions League group stage they tied away with the Hungarian Ferencváros.
Bookmaker quotes for the match Sturm – Dynamo
After winning the first match, the chances of Dynamo, which was considered the favorite of the confrontation before the fight, increased to advance to the next round. In any case, this is what betting analysts think.
Now bets on Dynamo’s advance to the playoffs qualifications are taken on the basis of 1×1.3, while the coefficient for Sturm’s passage to the next round of selection 1×3.65.
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
