FC Universitatea Cluj and Dynamo Kyiv are completing the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The second leg will take place on 16 July at 18:30 BST at the Cluj Arena in Cluj-Napoca.
The first match ended in a goalless draw (0:0). Even so, the difference in class between the teams was clear in every phase of play, and that is what the prediction can be built on. The winners of the tie will face PAOK in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, while the losers will drop into the UEFA Conference League and play Brann.
The goalless draw in Lublin is a misleading impression. Dynamo Kyiv dominated the Romanian side for almost the entire match: 25:3 on shots, 5:1 on shots on target, 63% possession and 10 corners to their opponents' four. There were dangerous moments too: Matviy Ponomarenko shot from close range and the goalkeeper saved, while Mykola Shaparenko struck from the edge of the box and hit the crossbar. That kind of superiority will not disappear in a week.
In the 84th minute, the lights went out at the stadium. The pause lasted around five minutes, after which the game resumed and eight minutes of added time were played. The Kyiv side were not denied the closing stages, but the stoppage still disrupted their rhythm, just when Dynamo Kyiv were increasing the pressure.
FC Universitatea Cluj come into the second leg without a win in their last five matches, with three draws and two defeats, and a goal difference of 1:7. That said, it cannot be claimed that the team lack match rhythm. After the goalless draw in Lublin, FC Universitatea Cluj played in the Romanian Super Cup: normal time finished 1:1 against Universitatea Craiova, and they were beaten 5:3 in the penalty shoot-out. That match added sharpness, but it also took away freshness: the second leg in the UEFA Europa League will already be their third game in seven days.
In the spring, FC Universitatea Cluj lost 5:0 to the same Universitatea Craiova, but the hosts' current form should not be judged only on that collapse: they finished the 2025/26 season in second place. In the match in Lublin, the Romanian side were extremely cautious, dropping deep and keeping the score at zero thanks to strict discipline and the reliable goalkeeping of Neofytos Michail. Now, though, to build attacks they will have to leave their own penalty area at least occasionally, and that will open up the spaces Dynamo Kyiv lacked in the first game.
Dynamo Kyiv have a deeper squad and greater class, and the task is perfectly clear: settle the tie in normal time. A straight away win is a cautious option at low odds. If you want to increase them, the handicap (-1) is worth considering: it raises the demands on the result, but with a minimum win (1:0, 2:1 and so on) it returns the stake, while the price is noticeably higher.
Iwan Griffith (Wales)
Matches – 7 (international matches, 2023–2026);
Average fouls per match – 25;
Average yellow cards per match (including second yellow cards) – 3.9;
Matches with a red card – 0 out of 7;
Matches with a penalty awarded – 1 out of 7.
|
Cristiano Bergodi
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Neofytos Michael
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Iulian Lucian Cristea
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Alexandru Mihăiță Chipciu
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Dorin Marian Codrea
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Jug Stanojev
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Mouhamadou Basirou Drammeh
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ovidiu Alexandru Bic
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Pedro Nuno Almeida Pinho
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Issouf Macalou
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Marius Ștefănescu
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Oucasse Mendy
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Tudor Gabriel Coşa
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ştefan Daniel Lefter
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Alin Marian Chinteș
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Florent Grégoire Poulolo
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ionel Alin Techereș
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Adams Friday
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Dan Nicolae Nistor
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Gabriel Bogdan Simion
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Alibek Aliev
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Atanas Ioan Trică
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Goodnews Ibuchi Chukwu Jr.
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Igor Kostyuk
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Ruslan Neshcheret
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Kristian Bilovar
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Taras Mykhavko
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Tomasz Karol Kędziora
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Vladyslav Dubinchak
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Bohdan Redushko
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Mykola Shaparenko
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Nazar Voloshyn
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Oleksandr Pikhalionok
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Volodymyr Brazhko
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Matvii Ponomarenko
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Illia Olkhovyi
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Viacheslav Surkis
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Aliou Thiare
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Kostiantyn Vivcharenko
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Maksym Korobov
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Andrii Yarmolenko
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Justin Antonius Lonwijk
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Navin Malysh
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Valentyn Rubchynskyi
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Vitalii Buialskyi
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Eduardo Antonio Guerrero Locano
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Elijah Oluwashola Ogundana
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
Dynamo Kyiv
Universitatea Cluj
Dynamo Kyiv
Universitatea Cluj
Europa League 2026/27
Dynamo Kyiv
Universitatea Cluj
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Juventus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:0 | 3 |
|
2
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 | 3 |
|
3
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
4
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
5
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:0 | 3 |
|
6
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
7
|
Benfica
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
8
|
Bayer 04
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
9
|
OFI Crete
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
10
|
Bournemouth
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
11
|
Lyon
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
12
|
União Torreense
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
13
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
14
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
15
|
Omonia
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
16
|
Sunderland
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
17
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
18
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
19
|
Rennes
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
20
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
21
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
22
|
Anderlecht
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lillestrom
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
24
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
25
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
26
|
Celta
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
27
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
28
|
Celtic
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
29
|
NK Celje
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
30
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
31
|
AC Milan
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
32
|
Marseille
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
33
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
34
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:3 | 0 |
|
35
|
Lech
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
36
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:5 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Juventus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:0 | 3 |
|
2
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 | 3 |
|
3
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
4
|
Bayer 04
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
5
|
OFI Crete
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
6
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
7
|
Omonia
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
8
|
Sunderland
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
9
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
10
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
11
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
12
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
13
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
14
|
Benfica
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
15
|
Bournemouth
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
16
|
Lyon
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
17
|
União Torreense
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
18
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
19
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
20
|
Rennes
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
21
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
22
|
Anderlecht
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lillestrom
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
24
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
25
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
26
|
Celta
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
27
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
28
|
Celtic
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
29
|
NK Celje
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
30
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
31
|
AC Milan
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
32
|
Marseille
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
33
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
34
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:3 | 0 |
|
35
|
Lech
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
36
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
2
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:0 | 3 |
|
3
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
4
|
Benfica
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
5
|
Bournemouth
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
6
|
Lyon
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
7
|
União Torreense
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
8
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
9
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
10
|
Rennes
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
11
|
Juventus
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
12
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
13
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
14
|
Bayer 04
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
15
|
OFI Crete
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
16
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
17
|
Omonia
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
18
|
Sunderland
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
19
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
20
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
21
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
22
|
Anderlecht
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lillestrom
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
24
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
25
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
26
|
Celta
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
27
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
28
|
Celtic
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
29
|
NK Celje
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
30
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
31
|
AC Milan
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
32
|
Marseille
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
33
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
34
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
35
|
Lech
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
36
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:5 | 0 |
