Dynamo Kyiv edge Qarabag 1-0 as Ponomarenko delivers first-leg winner

Ukrainian presence in European club competition shrank by half before Dynamo Kyiv even took the field, with Polissya and LNZ exiting in the UEFA Conference League. Ihor Kostyuk's side still had a lifeline in that same tournament, but the draw handed them a serious opponent. Qarabag were in the Champions League playoff last season and only lost the Azerbaijani title race to Baku's Sabah. Qarabag made life uncomfortable early. They pressed high, forced Dynamo into rushed clearances and got Oleksii Kashchuk into dangerous areas to test Viacheslav Surkis. Dynamo survived that spell and hit back in the 10th minute. A poor clearance by the Qarabag goalkeeper sent the ball through Mykhavko, Brazhko and a deflection off Varkonyi's head before Ponomarenko finished past the keeper. The game calmed down after that. With Lublin, Poland, baking in heat, Qarabag stopped forcing the issue and Dynamo began to look more comfortable. The defending still caused concern. In the 69th minute Surkis and his center-backs got into a mess, but Muaddib missed the empty net with a volley. Dynamo should have made the return leg safer. Guerrero passed up chances and Shaparenko, from a tight angle on the right edge of the box, shot past the far post. It stayed 1-0, yet the night still got better for Dynamo. Jafarguliyev's evening ended early through injury, and in the 90th minute Chebrails Makreckis was given a straight red card for swinging his studs toward Kabaev's face. The return match between Qarabag and Dynamo Kyiv will be played on August 13.