Ferencváros miss out on Europa League knockout stages

2020. december. 08., 23:02 |

A second-half goal by Dynamo Kiev's Denys Popov against the run of play put paid to Ferencváros' hopes of finishing third in their Champions League group and taking up a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League after this final group game away in Ukraine, but Hungary's reigning champions can take heart from a series of determined performances in their first appearance with Europe's elite for 25 years.

Serhiy Rebrov's team lined up in a 4-3-3 formation in the NSK Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev, Dénes Dibusz in goal behind a back four of Marcel Heister on the left, Lasha Dvali and Miha Blazic in the centre and Gergő Lovrencsics at right-back. A midfield three of Aissa Laidouni, Igor Kharatin and Somalia were charged with providing a stable platform for the three forwards, Myrto Uzuni, Tokmac Nguen and Oleksandr Zubkov to press high and win as much possession as possible in the opposing half.

Fradi started well, dominating possession and seeing a penalty claim for handball turned down before Tokmac fashioned the chance of the half when possession was stolen by Laidouni inside the Dynamo half and a pass sent through to the Norwegian striker, but after cutting in towards goal he could only curl the ball well wide of the goal from 20 metres.

The first two chances of the second half went the way of Fradi too, Tokmac and Zubkov both drawing regulation saves from Dynamo goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan when well placed, but it was the hosts who took the lead against the run of play, Carlos De Pena's free-kick from the left channel flicked on by Tomasz Kędziora to centre-back Denys Popov who nodded the ball past Dibusz and into the far right side of the goal.

Uzuni, Zubkov and substitute Frank Boli both had sights of goal thereafter as Ferencváros pluckily tried to pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but it was to no avail, Dynamo Kiev sealing a 1-0 home victory to take all three points, third place in the group and a place in the knockout stages of this season's Europa League.

Dynamo Kiev 1-0 Ferencváros (HT: 0-0)
Goalscorer: Popov (60)
Dynamo Kiev: Bushchan - Kedziora, Zabarnyi, Popov, Mykolenko - Shaparenko, Sydorchuk (Andriyevskiy, 92), Garmash (Shepeliev, 70) - Taygankov (Lednev 86), Verbic (Rodrigues, 86.), De Pena (Supryaha, 70)

Ferencváros: Dibusz - Lovrencsics (Botka 80), Blazic, Dvali, Heister - Laidouni, Haratin (Isael 73), Somalia - Uzuni (Baturina 73), Nguen (Boli 86), Zubkov (Mak 80).