Dynamo turn on the power

PFC Levski Sofia 0-1 FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv took a huge step towards the UEFA Champions League first group stage with a 1-0 defeat of PFC Levski Sofia at the Gueorgui Asparuhov stadium.

Crucial strike
Romanian midfield player Florin Cernat's second-half strike gave the Ukrainians a crucial away goal with the second leg to be played at the Olimpiyski stadium in two weeks' time.

Fast start
The home side started the match impressively and Dynamo needed goalkeeper Vitaliy Reva to deny Sasa Simonovic from the edge of the box early on. Striker Miodrag Pantelic also had a chance to open the scoring for Levski after a headed pass from Gueorgui Chilikov but he was just beaten to the ball by Reva.

Greater desire
Dynamo came out with more desire in the second half and it paid off. On the hour, Maksim Shatskikh received the ball with his back to goal just outside the Levski penalty area. He laid it off to Cernat who fired the ball into the top corner of the net.

Missed opportunity
Shatskikh then had the chance to double Dynamo's advantage but fired straight at the Levski goalkeeper. The home side battled hard in the latter chances with Garba Lawal, Simonovic and Stanimir Stoilov all going close, but for all their effort Levski just could not get the goal their play warranted.
 
'Better team lost'
"We did not deserve to lose," said Levski coach Slavoljub Muslin. "We had more chances than Dynamo, we played better than them. I think the better team lost this game."