Dynamo Kyiv Dominates Ħamrun Spartans in Champions League Qualifier
Dynamo Kyiv secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Ħamrun Spartans in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying match, positioning themselves favorably for advancement to the third round. The Ukrainian giants demonstrated a clear superiority in class, punishing the Maltese champions for defensive lapses throughout the contest.
Early Pressure and a Swift Response
Dynamo Kyiv asserted their dominance from the opening minutes, utilizing slick passing to probe the Ħamrun defense. The Spartans attempted to disrupt the Ukrainian rhythm with quick transitions, relying on Joseph Mbong and N’Dri Koffi to exploit any openings. However, Ħamrun’s early promise was quickly extinguished after a missed opportunity in the 11th minute. Eder dispossessed Yarmolenko and drove into the area, but his shot was blocked by a Kiev defender, a miss that proved costly.
Shortly after, Dynamo struck first blood. Vladyslav Kabaiev’s surging run and low cross found the unmarked Vladyslav Vanat, who confidently slotted the ball past Henry Bonello. “The Spartans paid dearly for this miss,” as one observer noted, highlighting the clinical nature of Dynamo’s response.
VAR Intervention and Continued Ukrainian Threat
The Ukrainian side continued to press, with Yarmolenko’s corner kick in the 21st minute finding an unmarked Popovic, whose header sailed over the bar. A misplaced pass from Marcelina nearly gifted Dynamo a second goal, but Vanat’s attempt to round Bonello ended with a shot into the side-netting.
Just before halftime, Dynamo thought they had doubled their lead when Popov headed in from a Yarmolenko free-kick, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review, which revealed a Dynamo player in an offside position interfering with play.
Second-Half Consolidation and Late Goals
Dynamo continued to dictate the tempo after the restart, with Yarmolenko firing over the bar early in the second half. Ħamrun goalkeeper Bonello was called into action on 63 minutes, making a stunning full-stretch save to deny Vanat’s powerful low drive.
Despite a late surge from Ħamrun, which saw Saliou Thioune’s header narrowly miss the target in the 76th minute, Dynamo quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback. Skipper Vitaliy Buyalskyi extended the lead in the 78th minute with a fierce drive deflected past Bonello by Bjelicic. A minute later, Shaparenko almost added a third, but his effort was cleared off the line by Sven Xerri.
The final nail in the coffin came in stoppage time when Shaparenko’s angled shot was deflected by Bonello into the path of Voloshyn, who calmly finished from close range, sealing a comprehensive 3-0 victory for Dynamo Kyiv.
The lineups for the match were as follows:
Ħamrun Spartans: H. Boello, V. Policy (37 M. The Fanis), O. Bigelic, R. Compreh (87 N. Milkalf), R. Cancer (87 G. Frames), J. Mbound, J. Broad, E. Cardden, Eerer (73 S. Xerri), D. Knosis, D. Knolo.
Dynamo Kyiv: R. Neshcheret, V. Dubinchak, T. Mykhavko, D. Popov, O. Tymchyk, O. Pikhalonok (66 M. Shaparenko), M. Mykhaleenko, V. Buyalskyi (79 V. Brazhko), A. Yarmolenko (66 N. Voloshyn), V. Vanat.
The match also saw yellow cards issued to Bjelicic, Simkus, Koffi, Yarmolenko, Eder, Popov, and Vanat. This dominant performance puts Dynamo Kyiv in a strong position to advance to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
