Group E
Dynamo Kyiv Coach Anatoli Demianenko believes victory over Lyon tonight is essential if his side are to retain any hope of qualifying for the knockout stages.
After heavy defeats in their opening two Group E fixtures, Dynamo are in a precarious position, but Demianenko has not given up hope.
“The boys are preparing for this match as if it was the final,” he said.
“The most important thing is to make sure we start the game at full throttle. Skill comes second to mental condition at this time.”
“They are fired up in the way you need to be to play quality football,” he said. “We had been playing without emotion. Now this has changed.”
With Olexandr Shovkovskiy suspended, Demianenko will choose either 32-year-old Taras Lutsenko or 19-year-old Olexandr Rybka for the goalkeeper’s spot. Centre-back Vladyslav Vaschuk is also fit to return.
Lyon coach Gerard Houllier has told his players what to expect from Dynamo.
“It won’t be easy to win in Kiev,” he said. “We are up against opponents who have been beaten twice. They will go all the way as this is their last chance to continue fighting for a place in the knockout phase.”
Lyon will be without goalkeeper Gregory Coupet and defenders Claudio Cacapa and Patrick Muller, all of whom were injured on international duty last week.
“The thing about Lyon is that the team is more important than any individual,” Houllier added.
“Who starts, who comes on as a substitute, and who is left out is not important.”
Probable teams
Dynamo:
Taras Lutsenko; Marjan Markovic, Goran Gavran?i?, Rodolfo, Badr El Kaddouri; Oleh Gusev, Carlos Corrêa, Ayila Yussuf, Diogo Rincón; Serhiy Rebrov, Artem Milevskiy.
Lyon:
Rémy Vercoutre; Anthony Réveillère, Cris, Sébastien Squillaci, Eric Abidal; Jérémy Toulalan, Juninho Pernambucano, Tiago; Sidney Govou, Fred, Florent Malouda.
