Dynamo Kiev, a powerhouse in the Ukrainian Premier League, has nearly secured their spot in the subsequent qualifying round after a decisive 6-2 victory over Partizan at Arena Lublin in Poland. They are poised to challenge the Scottish Premiership’s prominent team, Rangers, in the next stage. Last season, both Dynamo and Partizan finished second in their respective leagues, with Partizan trailing seven points behind Red Star Belgrade.

Partizan’s journey in last year’s European competition was halted in the Conference League play-off by Nordsjaelland. Unless they stage an extraordinary comeback, their participation in this season’s premier European tournament is likely to end in the second round.

In the previous encounter, Partizan’s Brazilian forward Matheus Saldanha, who had an impressive tally of 18 goals last season, put his team ahead with a penalty in the first half. However, Dynamo Kiev quickly responded, overturning the lead and establishing a 3-1 advantage by halftime.

Partizan’s coach, Aleksandar Stanoevich, acknowledged the need for more competitive players to contend at such a high level. He indicated that squad enhancements are underway, though he believes these should have been addressed before the start of European competitions.

Dynamo Kiev, with 16 Ukrainian league titles to their name, narrowly missed their 17th last season, finishing just behind Shakhtar Donetsk. Their recent European endeavors have been less successful, including last season’s failure to advance to the group stage after a defeat by Besiktas in the Conference League play-off.

In the last match, Dynamo’s Mykola Shaparenko, Volodymyr Brazhko, and Oleksandr Karavaev scored in quick succession before the break. Vladyslav Kabayev extended the lead shortly into the second half. Although Saldanha scored again for Partizan, Dynamo’s Denys Popov and Oleksandr Pikhalyonok sealed the win with late goals.

Should Dynamo and Rangers clash in the forthcoming round, both will host their matches at alternative venues due to renovations at their home stadiums, with Dynamo playing in Poland and Rangers at Hampden Park.

Sportai365 predicts a win for Dynamo Kiev.