Dynamo Kyiv — Lazio, Getty Images September 25, 2024, 11:54 p.m

This reform of the European Cups, as it seems, was designed to undermine our usual rhythm of life in the European Cup campaign. A week ago, we watched the confrontations in the UEFA Champions League in an unusual format as many as three days in a row, and this time no other tournaments, except for the Europa League, were planned in the context of international battles.

But the Ukrainian fan’s attention to the second-ranked competition is by no means less, because it is here that Dynamo Kyiv will conduct its European campaign in the next few months. Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team will have to overcome a difficult path, and it began in Hamburg, where a year ago Volksparkstadion, nominally the home of Shakhtar Donetsk, was preparing to host the “white-blue” match against Rome’s Lazio.

Marco Baroni’s team was not easy, as everyone knew. And here the coach also decided to give playing time to non-main football players in his own bracket, so Dynamo immediately faced an ambiguous experience. And lost this duel. Five minutes were enough for the experimental connection between Mihavko and Ceballos in the center of defense to be pushed by Pedro and Dia.

But the problems of Shovkovskyi’s team did not end there either. Not even half of the half had passed when Ceballios suffered a muscle injury and was forced to leave the field, and Bilovar appeared to replace him. According to the level of experience, it turns out that way, but according to the level of how Lazio took advantage of this forced rotation in the composition of the opponents, it turns out that the Ukrainian failed specifically.

Even before the break, the score was 3:0 in favor of the visiting team, because Dele-Bashiru and Dia took advantage of mistakes in the same center of the penalty area. It didn’t even make sense to describe the moments there, because everything was as per the template – the rebounds were not played, the players were not sorted out, the goals in the Bushan goal were looked at. And it was the Kyiv goalkeeper who pulled out Dele-Bashir’s shot with a claim to a complete rout!

Only at the end of the first half, the “white and blue” found themselves in the attack and had several very high-quality scoring opportunities. We immediately recall Brazek’s magnificent shot from a free kick into the upper left corner, a little lower, but in the same direction, later Yarmolenko scored from a closer distance, and Vanat and Pikhalyonk also performed well with the bottom.

But all this boils down to a simple fact — 0:3 on the scoreboard, with which something had to be done at halftime, but what exactly is unclear. Shovkovsky did not have a backup plan as such. Dynamo continued to draw attacks in the same spirit, and although Lazio allowed the opponents really a lot even in their own penalty area, who would want to take advantage of this. There was always some extra touch.

Somewhere in the middle of the second half, we already came to terms with the fact of the defeat, which was to happen soon, because everything was leading up to it and the improvement was coming. But here the referees decided to worsen the mood, reviewing the moment with Bragar overlapping Dzaccagna in the center of the field, after which the Dynamo player was removed, although he did not spend 10 minutes on the field.

However, even here the “eagles” were ahead of Kyiv – Noslin appeared in the game in the 79th minute, and already in the 82nd, for some reason, he ran to the center of the penalty area to wave off Dubinchak during the development of the left flank attack. Even the referee himself did not immediately understand the episode, but through communication everything was quickly explained to him correctly. So, they finished 10 on 10 with another good shot from a distance from Brazhko and a quality kick from a free kick from Andrievsky. These moments will serve as a magnet from Hamburg. Next time, perhaps, they will visit the Fischmarkt, and give a handshake to the legendary Reeperbahn there.

Tijani Noslin (Lazio) was sent off in the 82nd minute (foul).