Dynamo Kyiv v Rio Ave background
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Article summary
FC Dynamo Kyiv are closing in on a place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 but must be wary of a shock result against eliminated Rio Ave FC in Group J.
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FC Dynamo Kyiv lie within sight of the UEFA Europa League round of 32, but eliminated Rio Ave FC can still throw a spanner in the works with a revenge win in their Group J encounter on matchday five.
Form guide
• Rio Ave lost 3-0 at home to Dynamo on matchday one – their heaviest defeat in UEFA competition – but Dynamo are without a win in their last four home meetings with Portuguese sides (D2 L2).
• European debutants Rio Ave have lost their last three UEFA away matches – all by one-goal margins; Dynamo have won both of their Group J home fixtures by two goals.
• Dynamo are competing in this group stage for a fourth time, having only once – in 2011/12 – failed to make it through to the round of 32.
Trivia and links
• Rio Ave striker Ukra got his unusual nickname as a child because his long, fair hair supposedly made him look Ukrainian.
• Rio Ave's Belarusian midfielder Renan Bressan is by far the most experienced European campaigner in their squad. He faced Dynamo twice with FC BATE Borisov in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage; his side drew 2-2 in Kyiv but lost 4-1 at home.
• Dynamo boast Portuguese talent in the form of Miguel Veloso. During his days at Sporting Clube de Portugal, the midfielder was a team-mate of Rio Ave left-back Tiago Pinto.
The coaches
• Dynamo coach Serhiy Rebrov formed a deadly attacking partnership with Andriy Shevchenko for the Bilo-Syni, though his goals dried up somewhat after moving abroad. Following retirement in 2009, Rebrov took a job with Dynamo's youth team, but became first team coach in May 2014 after a successful caretaker spell.
• As a defensive midfielder, Rio Ave coach Pedro Martins' career peaked during a three-year spell at Sporting – during which he earned, in 1997, his only cap for Portugal. As a coach, he worked his way up the leagues, joining Rio Ave in 2014 after a four-year stint at CS Marítimo.
