Dynamo power past Pyunik

FC Dynamo Kyiv 4-0 FC Pyunik

Early struggle
Dynamo struggled to dominate the first half, taking the lead through an unlikely goal. Romanian midfield player Florin Cernat took a free-kick from the right wing and the cross sailed into the net untouched by both sides.

Dynamo in control
However, Dynamo took control in the second half, as Pyunik struggled to keep pace with the quick Ukrainians. On 64 minutes Pyunik's Argentinian defender Jose André Bilibio was sent off for a second bookable offence and Dynamo wasted no time in capitalising on their one-man advantage.

Lead doubled
Ukrainian top scorer Maxim Shatskikh rose to head in a cross from Yuriy Dmytrulin to double his side's lead just a minute later, and Leandro Machado, who was making his first appearance for Dynamo, marked the occasion with the third goal on 84 minutes.

Icing on the cake
Hungarian defender Laszlo Bodnàr provided the icing on the cake, as his 35-metre blast flew into Andronik Karaguezian's goal. After the game disappointed Pyunik head coach Oscar Lopez acknowledged that the fate of the tie is now certain, but stressed that his team had pride to play for in the second leg.

Mikhaylichenko comments
Meanwhile Olexiy Mikhaylichenko was not overly excited after his first European victory as Dynamo head coach. "We were much better, and we deservedly won," he said. "Despite the injuries which hit our regular defenders, we looked safe at the back, but we wasted several chances we should have taken. We will work on that."