Dynamo Kiev in a conditionally home match was defeated 0:2 by Benfica. Sport Arena evaluates the game of Kiev in the match with the Portuguese grand
If Fenerbahce and Sturm watched this match, a mean man’s tear rolled down the cheeks of the players and coaches. Benfica showed that it was possible to oppose the strict rationality of Dynamo, played aggressively and was rewarded for this with a quick goal, securing an exceptionally convincing first half with a double advantage and a particle of luck, when in the second half the substitutions somewhat revived the game of the Kyivans.
Mircea Lucescu is certainly a miracle worker. But it takes more than a miracle to get out of the impasse in Lisbon. How did Dynamo lose to the Eagles and why could nothing oppose them? The Sport Arena is being dismantled.
- George Bushchan – 5.5
>> It was not the goalkeeper who could save Dynamo in this match – Bushchan was simply left to be shot, so even at the time of the first goal, one should not blame the tips of his gloves. Gilberto’s shot was delivered from a good position with a complicated rebound. The second goal is generally pure physical violence against the goalkeeper. So, Georgy saved Neres after a good blow, otherwise he shared this bitter, fair defeat with the team.
- Tomasz Kendzhera – 5.5
>> Both goals came from the Dynamo flanks, and although Kengera certainly shares the blame for this with Tsygankov, who not only helped little, but also grossly erred himself, Tomek also has significant questions. In 90 minutes on the field, he managed to play less attacking than Dubinchak for 60, and Karavaev for 30. In the defense game, he often lost to Juan Mario and Grimaldo. Several times he showed a good reading of the game, interrupting the promising feeds of Neres and Mario. However, he failed to influence the game.
- Ilya Zabarny – 5.5
>> When a team loses, there are no innocents. Zabarny made fewer mistakes than Popov, but where was he when Denis was left face to face with Neres after Tsygankov’s “assist pass”? He ran from the curb when the ball flew into the goal. Where did he look when the ball flew past him in the penalty area for a few more moments? Thank you at least for fewer ball losses and inaccurate passes, and for the moment at the end of the first half, when he took on a clear blow from Rafa. Otherwise, you could not go to Lisbon …
- Denis Popov – 5.0 << 80' 34. Orphan
>> Sometimes not a single figure of deep statistics covers an unsuccessful game in key episodes of the match. Only two, namely they decided the fate of the match with Benfica. At the moment with the first goal, he let Ramos roll the ball into the field. In the second one, he let Neres hit himself, who rolled an assist under Ramush’s kick. Several times I stopped opponents only with a foul, or as in the moment when the referee looked askance at VAR, with the risk of a foul. Yes, Benfica discovered and illustrated Popov’s weaknesses..
- Vladislav Dubinchak – 5.5 << 63' 2. Vivcharenko
>> Dubinchak’s controversial match – a complete fiasco in defensive actions, optimistic glimpses of activity in the opponent’s half. He played unsuccessfully at the moment with the first goal, when he accompanied Juan Mario – and did not prevent him from passing, and Gilberto from shooting. At the same time, in that attack, when Tsygankov hit the target of Vlachimos for the only time, it was the timely transfer to the center to the left of Vlad that decided a lot, and later Dubinchak gave Viktor an even better pass under a dangerous blow. And all this – against the backdrop of a lost confrontation with Gilbert, and Rafa Silva simply mocked the Dynamo counterparts. So Dubinchak rightly had to be removed from the game.
- Alexander Andrievsky – 5.5
>> The difficult task of replacing Sidorchuk imposed additional responsibility on Andrievsky, and although Dynamo lost, we are forced to state that this was not due to the lack of a captain. Of course, Alexander shares a share of the blame for this result, because the jet-powered Rafa, Neres, Gilberto spring attacks precisely after losses in the central bridgehead. Of course, the charisma and leadership character of Sidorchuk cannot be fully compensated by the rotation player. But still, the root of evil was not in Andrievsky, not in one position – the defeat did not happen because of him.
- Nikolay Shaparenko – 6.0
>> Well, at least he tried. Shaparenko was a direct participant in those numerous Dynamo attacks that bothered Benfica in the first half. He constantly participated in the combination game and in the struggle for the strategic foothold in the center of the field. He worked hard with the ball, forcing even Neres and active Rafa Silva to foul against him. If Nikolai had two more players of his mobility and involvement in the game, perhaps Dynamo could create more in the middle.
- Vladimir Shepelev – 5.0 << 73' 37. Tsarenko
>> The experiment with Shepelev on the left in midfield did not work either for attack or for defense. At the moment with the first goal, he simply turned away from the blow of Gilberto. Later, he did not run in a few moments and did not keep up with the movement of his opponents. In the game of attack, despite a rare attempt to break through, he also practically did not distinguish himself in anything – except perhaps for participating in a fast multi-move with an unsuccessful end from Tsygankov.
- Viktor Tsygankov – 4.5 << 63' 20. Karavaev
>> With his speed, technique and impact, Tsygankov will always be the player from whom you need to demand the most in Dynamo. Therefore, even two really good shots, with one of which he made the goalkeeper work, with the other he passed the frame, this is not enough for the most high-class player on the team. Score these two of your own – leave the field as a hero … Otherwise, Viktor failed the game – a lot of ball losses (15 at once), low dribble efficiency (about 25%), a catastrophe in the game down the flank. The second goal is generally his “bring”, and in the first it was Victor, walking on foot, who gave a flank pass, after which there was a mess with the final blow to Gilberto.
- Vitaly Buyalsky – 5.5
>> Buyalsky is one of the few who is capable of extraordinary actions, a subtle finish, a cunning accomplice, but, unfortunately, the team cannot wait half a time until Vitaly manages to get out of the encirclement. When it did, it was dangerous. It was after his transfer that Tsygankov was supposed to equalize at the beginning of the game, but sent the ball closer to the center of the goal. It was Buya who twice brought Karavaev to the shock position with subtle passes in the second half. However, in order to consider the match successful, such actions need more and more often – while the team was losing, we were looking for Vitaliy on the field with a flashlight.
- Artem Besedin – 5.0 << 73' 11. Vanat
>> Okay, Besedin does not hit on goal – we are already used to this. However, this time Artem did not succeed in the fight either. Out of 10 martial arts, I won less than a third, lost the ball 7 times, got into an offside position. The replacement was called for even earlier.
Substitutions
- Dubinchak 63′ >> 2. Konstantin Vivcharenko – 6.0
>> Vivcharenko was not destined to make a radical change in the game, although a few minutes after appearing on the field he took part in one of the fastest combinations of the team. And it became calmer on the flank, not least, because Benfica were already playing with a margin, and the productive Gilberto and Rafa Silva could already afford not to overexert themselves due to fatigue.
- Tsygankov 63′ >> 20. Alexander Karavaev – 6.5
>> A difficult philosophical question: did Lucescu make a mistake by not fielding his sharpest player at the moment, or is Lucescu deliberately doing this, realizing that there is no one else to revive the game? Nevertheless, just a few minutes after coming on as a substitute, Karavaev could equalize the score, then turned in another good moment. If there was a ray of hope in this match, it was thanks to the appearance of Alexander. If you had scored these two goals, Karavaev would have immediately passed into the status of a legend.
- Shepelev 73′ >> 37. Anton Tsarenko – no
>> Thanks for the debut. We hope that the time of Tsarenko and his generation will come soon – this time his appearance will be remembered for the first appearance of the 18-year-old talent in the official matches of the first team.
- Besedin 73′ >> 11. Vladislav Vanat – 6.0
>> Unlike its predecessor, at least tried to break through on someone else’s goal. He worked for himself, was looking for meetings with the ball and was close to seriously disturbing his opponents. This leaves hope for the future.
- Popov 80′ >> 34. Alexander Sirota – no
>> In the last minutes, with losing numbers, the center back is the last one who can have a significant impact on the game.
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.
