Coach Yuri Semin believes Dynamo Kyiv will require both “balance and patience” if they are to collect the point they need against Fenerbahce to finish third in Group G and ean their place in the UEFA Cup.
With Dynamo third in their Champions League section on five points and Fenerbahçe three points adrift at the bottom, a draw in Ukraine would ensure Semin’s side continued their European campaign in the spring.
“I will be happy with any result as long as we end up in the UEFA Cup,” said Semin. “Both teams are battling for a place in the UEFA Cup so I expect a very exciting and tough game. We have some new injuries but we have to be at our best because we’re ending the campaign at our ground and we want to please our fans who have been behind us all season.
“I have a positive feeling after the five games,” he said. “I feel we’re a real team now because the players have gained huge experience and the squad is balanced. Yes, we made some mistakes for which we were harshly punished, but that is experience too.
“We played top European teams and world-class stars and looked decent against them. For us, the most important things against Fenerbahce will be balance and patience.”
Fenerbahce have put a disappointing start to the campaign behind them, winning six of their last eight Turkish Super Lig matches, and coach Luis Aragonés is keen to maintain the winning sequence as he targets a UEFA Cup spot.
“We respect Dynamo very much but on Tuesday there will be no choice for us but to play to win from the first minute,” said the Spaniard. “You should not look back in football. We can speak about things getting worse or improving since that game, but we have another very serious match ahead and it will determine everything.”
Though Dynamo are without the suspended Olexandr Aliyev and Badr El Kaddouri who has injured his right knee, striker Artem Kravets returns after illness.
For Fenerbahçe, Semih Senturk, Burak Yilmaz, Emre Belozoglu and Kazim Kazimhave been left at home because of injury.
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