Bordeaux hold Dynamo to leave tie on knife-edge

FC Girondins de Bordeaux rode their luck to earn a crucial round of 32 away draw with FC Dynamo Kyiv, who spurned numerous chances including a second-half penalty which came back off the bar.

As the sides met for the first time in UEFA competition, Lukman Haruna and Ludovic Obraniak exchanged eye-catching strikes in the first half, the latter a vital away goal for Francis Gillot's ensemble. The Ukrainian team saw Oleh Gusev hit the woodwork from the spot after the break to leave this UEFA Europa League tie finely poised ahead of the return leg in a week's time.

Having not played a competitive game since 4 December, the hosts could have been forgiven for easing their way into things. However, Oleh Blokhin sent out his men fired up, and Marc Planus was quickly forced to block well from Haruna, before Cédric Carrasso turned a searching Niko Kranjčar effort around the post. The keeper was left helpless on 20 minutes, though, as Haruna collected a looping Taye Taiwo cross with his first touch, before slamming the bouncing ball into the roof of the net.

The lead lasted just three minutes, however, because Dynamo's Nigerian midfielder was upstaged by Obraniak. A neat piece of skill allowed Grégory Sertic to get free down the right, laying back for the Poland midfielder to whistle a beautiful strike into the far corner from 25 metres with the outside of his left boot.

Andriy Yarmolenko was unable to control his effort with an open goal at his mercy, before Haruna rattled the crossbar from range with another powerful attempt. Bordeaux closed ranks after the break, although the initiative seemed destined to swing back Dynamo's way after Henrique bundled over Gusev in the area. Yet the substitute thumped the spot kick against the bar, enabling the French club to escape with a vital draw.