Prediction: Dynamo Kyiv vs Universitatea Cluj

Two camps who will get their respective Europa League qualifying adventures underway on Thursday night, Dynamo Kyiv and Universitatea Cluj will meet at the Morot Lublin Arena.

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Dynamo Kyiv

Starting with the hosts, left hugely frustrated last season as they relinquished their domestic crown, Dynamo Kyiv endured what was a hugely frustrating campaign in the Ukrainian capital. Eventually forced to settle for a downbeat fourth-place finish and coming under a tremendous amount of scrutiny, Ihor Kostyuk’s men have plenty of expectation on their shoulders this time around. Nevertheless, crowned as the Ukrainian Cup champions back on May 20th as they secured a 3-1 victory against FC Chernihiv, Dynamo did sign off the 2025/26 campaign with an essential flurry. Winning each of their final four appearances across all competitions and suffering just a sole competitive defeat since the start of April, Thursday’s hosts will know the importance of claiming a first-leg advantage when they get their Europa League qualifying adventure underway in midweek.

Claiming Ukraine’s Golden Boot last season after registering 13 top-flight strikes, 20-year-old breakout star Matvii Ponomarenko will spearhead Dynamo’s charge in the final third.

Completing an emotional return to his boyhood club back in the summer of 2023, veteran talisman Andriy Yarmolenko will lead Kyiv out on Thursday night. Ukranian international Denys Popov will start at the heart of Dynamo’s defence here.

Universitatea Cluj

As for the visitors, while Universitatea Cluj might have sprung a major domestic upset last season, Cristiano Bergodi’s camp have largely struggled to replicate a similar level over recent times. Signing off their summer preparations with back-to-back 3-0 drumming against Nyiregyhaza and Vojvodina respectively, the Black and Whites have the feel of a squad who are searching for a much-welcomed boost. However, suffering the most public of Romanian Cup final heartbreak on May 13th as they fell to a nail-biting penalty shootout defeat against Craiova, Cluj have also shown some rather glaring issues in the final third. Facing what looks set to be a rugged first-leg challenge on Thursday night, it should be highlighted that Bergodi’s camp have recorded just a sole strike in any of their previous six attempts across all fronts.

Appearing to have cemented his spot as Cluj’s number one choice at the back end of last season, young shot-stopper Stefan Lefter will be hoping to keep his spot between the sticks.

Handed a brief summer break last week and not included in Cluj’s pre-season friendly battle against Nyiregyhaza last week, French attacker Oucasse Mendy should be handed a full recall. Signing off his maiden campaign in Romania back in May, one-time Reims midfielder Mouhamadou Drammeh will start in the middle of the park.

Dynamo Kyiv vs Universitatea Cluj Key Factors to Consider

• Thursday’s first-leg qualifying showdown will be the first competitive meeting between Dynamo Kyiv and Universitatea Cluj
• Including their nightmare pre-season preparations, Cluj have failed to win any of their previous six appearances across all competitions (four defeats, two draws).
• The Railwaymen have registered just a sole strike in any of their previous six matchups across all fronts.
• Dynamo Kyiv won all of their final four competitive appearances last season.
• Thursday’s hosts have failed to register consecutive clean sheets across all formats since the start of March.

Two camps who will get their respective Europa League qualifying adventures underway on Thursday night, Dynamo Kyiv will know the importance of laying down an early marker here. Despite being left by a real downbeat domestic campaign last season, the Ukrainian giants signed off proceedings with a much-welcomed flurry and they will be hoping to carry on from where they left off prior to the summer interval. Meeting a Cluj squad who have continued to show a string of glaring issues, we are backing Kyiv to get their European charge underway with an early statement.

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