Fenerbahçe denied by determined Dynamo

Fenerbahçe SK's run of eight consecutive European home wins is over after an efficient performance from FC Dynamo Kyiv earned the Ukrainian side a second successive UEFA Champions League Group G draw.

Visitors hold out
Five victories at the Sükrü Saraçoglu Stadium in the competition proper last season helped the Istanbul outfit to the quarter-finals but they were given few sights of goal by a Dynamo side who held Arsenal FC on Matchday 1. Having already lost at FC Porto, Fenerbahçe will now seek to revive their chances in the forthcoming double-header against Arsenal while Dynamo will go into their meeting with the Portuguese champions in high spirits.

Efficient Dynamo
Brazilian defender Edu found his way back into the Fenerbahçe starting XI after recovering from a fractured metatarsal along with Turkish international goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, who has just served a two-game domestic suspension. Boosted by their returning stars the home side had the bulk of the early possession but it was Dynamo who were proving more efficient with the ball, carving out the superior openings. Miloš Ninković was proving particularly elusive on the Dynamo left, his crosses causing real concern in the Fenerbahçe back line. In the 12th minute one such centre fell to Olexandr Aliyev yet instead of shooting he opted to set up Ismaël Bangoura and the opportunity was lost.

Tactical reshuffle
Home coach Luis Aragonés, in the absence of Daniel Güiza's usual strike partner Semih Şentürk through an ankle injury, had pushed winger Kazım Kazım forward to support the Spain striker but Dynamo were wise to that tactic and kept the London-born Turkish international heavily marked. Captain Alex was dropping back from his advanced playmaker role to create from deep but Dynamo were resisting with comfort and more danger was coming from Bangoura's incisive raids behind the Fenerbahçe defence.

Home chances
Having struggled to create chances prior to half-time, Fenerbahçe conjured up several within five minutes of the restart as Alex shot wide and then both Güiza and Emre Belözoğlu were denied by saves from Stanislav Bogush. Roberto Carlos had a shot blocked just past the hour and Dynamo pounced, launching a strong counterattack that ended with Aliyev firing his effort off target.

Late efforts
Dynamo were now happy to sit back and let last season's quarter-finalists come at them, but almost paid when Selçuk Şahin broke through. Bogush came to their rescue, and Güiza also had an effort blocked by the advancing goalkeeper. The visitors were still breaking with menace but from the best of those forays Maksim Shatskikh, on for Bangoura, could not hit the target. Kazım Kazım drove an effort wide in the last minute but Dynamo had held out.