Vadim Furmanov
What: Ukrainian Premier League
Who: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dynamo Kyiv
When: Sunday, 4th August, at 17:00 UK Time
Where: Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine
Dynamo Look to Reverse Recent Trend against Shakhtar
For most of their history, Dynamo Kyiv have been used to being the unquestioned top dogs of Ukrainian football. During the Soviet era Dynamo won the Soviet Top League a record 13 times and were the most successful Soviet club in European competition, twice winning the Cup Winners Cup under legendary manager Valeriy Lobanovskyi. Shakhtar Donetsk, meanwhile, were a perpetual mid-table club, a provincial side with a comparatively paltry trophy haul of just two Soviet Cups that were unable to challenge Dynamo. Dynamo had no rivals within the Ukrainian Soviet Republic; the great prestige derby of Soviet football was between Dynamo and Spartak Moscow. During the first decade after Ukraine declared independence in 1991 it was more of the same. With the exception Tavriya's shock triumph in the inaugural Ukrainian Premier League campaign, Dynamo won nine of the first ten league titles.
Yet slowly but surely, Shakhtar emerged as a legitimate threat to Dynamo's dominance. With the backing of owner Rinat Akhmetov, who has poured millions into the club and its infrastructure, Shakhtar finally broke Dynamo's hegemony in 2002 and in the years since have established themselves as Ukraine's best side. In 2009 they defeated Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup final, but perhaps more symbolically the team they defeated in the semi-finals was none other than Dynamo Kyiv. Shakhtar have now won the past four Ukrainian Premier League titles in a row and have utterly dominated Dynamo in the Ukrainian Derby, as the match between the two sides has come to be known. To make matters worse for Dynamo, last season they finished outside of the top two for the first time in their history and thus missed out on the Champions League.
On Sunday night these two sides will resume their rivalry in the biggest match of the Ukrainian league calendar at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk. Shakhtar are currently in first place with a perfect record of three wins from three matches, while Dynamo are two back with seven points. Both sides have had busy summers. Shakhtar were hit hard by the departures of Fernandinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, two key performers from last year's double-winning side. Three Brazilians midfielders: Fred, Fernando, and Wellington Nem, have been brought in, as has an Argentinian striker, Facundo Ferreyra. Despite Shakhtar's perfect record their performances have been far from impressive so far, and Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu is still working on integrating the new players into the side.
Oleh Blokhin, Lucescu's counterpart at Dynamo, also has a sizable contingent of new arrivals to work with. After last season's unacceptable third place finish, owner Ihor Surkis has made plenty of funds available for Blokhin to return Dynamo back to what they believe to be their place rightful place at the pinnacle of Ukrainian football. Nearly €47m has been spent on new players, including the highly-rated Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani from Anderlecht and Dutch international winger Jeremain Lens from PSV. Mbokani has settled in very quickly, scoring in every match so far.
It is still very early on in the season, and the result will neither make nor break either team's season. But this is an opportunity for both sides to make a statement. Shakhtar, the four time defending champions, can further consolidate their position at the apex of Ukrainian football with another emphatic victory over their once-great rivals, while Dynamo look to send a symbolic message to the East that they are well on their way back to dethroning the usurpers. It makes for a fascinating narrative, and it should make for some fascinating football.
Recent form
Shakhtar Donetsk:
Shakhtar 2-0 Hoverla (14/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Sevastopol 1-3 Shakhtar (21/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Shakhtar 1-0 Chornomorets (28/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Dynamo Kyiv:
Dynamo 1-1 Volyn (14/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Hoverla 1-2 Dynamo (20/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Dynamo 2-0 Sevastopol (28/07; Ukrainian Premier League)
Key absences
Shakhtar Donetsk: None
Dynamo Kyiv: Denys Harmash
Players to watch
Shakhtar Donetsk – Luiz Adriano: The 26-year-old Brazilian striker has been at Shakhtar since 2007 and has scored 84 goals in all competitions for the club, including 50 in league play. Luiz Adriano has started all three of Shakhtar's league matches as a lone striker and has scored twice, including the winner against Sevastopol. Though no single player has stood out so far for Shakhtar in the opening weeks of the campaign, look for Luiz Adriano to be a constant threat to the Dynamo backline.
Dynamo Kyiv – Dieumerci Mbokani: The Congolese striker, who shortly before moving to Dynamo this summer had admitted to never having heard of the club, has had a dream start to life in the Ukrainian capital. Mbokani has scored four goals in three matches, including a double against Hoverla and a brilliant individual effort against Sevastopol. He currently tops the scoring charts and don't be surprised if he gets a goal in his first ever Ukrainian derby.
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