Ice-cool Dynamo slam the door on Steaua
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Article summary
FC Steaua Bucureşti 0-2 FC Dynamo Kyiv
Andriy Yarmolenko's tidy finish triggered a doomsday scenario for the Romanian champions as his side finished top of Group J.
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Article body
• Dynamo hang on to first place in Group J; Steaua miss out on round of 32
• Olexandr Shovkovskiy does well to deny Lucian Sânmărtean and Claudiu Keșerü
• Andriy Yarmolenko's low finish stops Steaua in their tracks on 71 minutes
• Aalborg's defeat at Rio Ave means a win would have sent Steaua through
• Round of 32 draw takes place in Nyon at 13.00CET on 15 December
Andriy Yarmolenko's cool finish spelled disaster for FC Steaua Bucureşti, with the Romanian champions bowing out as FC Dynamo Kyiv were confirmed as UEFA Europa League Group J winners.
In the sides' seventh European meeting, both flung caution to the wind to begin with. Łukasz Szukała missed the target with an early header for Steaua, and Artem Kravets steered shots wide of both of Giedrius Arlauskis's posts at the other end inside the first 20 minutes.
Dynamo's Olexandr Shovkovskiy then saved from Lucian Sânmărtean, before Arlauskis's scrambling block left Yarmolenko feeling he might have done better as he spearheaded a counterattack. Shovkovskiy, meanwhile, knew he could not be faulted after diving to fend away a powerful Claudiu Keşerü shot with the break approaching.
Steaua's need being greater, they pushed harder thereafter, with Alexandru Chipciu involved in a heated exchange with team-mate Cristian Tănase after smashing a shot the wrong side of Shovkovskiy's post with Dynamo momentarily flustered on 59 minutes.
Raul Rusescu, wearing a protective mask, came on to further sharpen the Romanian champions' attacking options, but hopes were dashed as Yarmolenko collected Serhiy Sydorchuk's ball into the box, and spun round to beat Arlauskis with a low shot on 71 minutes. Jeremain Lens made it 2-0, drawing Arlauskis off his line and sending the ball into the empty net with the last kick of the game.