Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Conference League clash between Samsunspor and Dynamo Kiev, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Samsunspor will enjoy their first taste of UEFA Conference League football on home soil when they welcome struggling Dynamo Kiev to the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu on Thursday evening.
The Turkish outfit began their European campaign in perfect fashion, grinding out a 1-0 win away to Legia Warsaw on matchday one, and now they will look to build on that momentum in front of their home supporters.
Match preview
Samsunspor’s debut appearance in the main phase of a major European competition could not have gone much better, as a spirited and disciplined performance in Poland earned them all three points, courtesy of Anthony Musaba’s decisive 10th-minute strike.
The Red Lightning are unbeaten in six matches across all competitions (3W, 3D), most recently claiming a 3-1 victory away to Kayserispor in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday, with Carlo Holse grabbing a well-taken brace.
Thomas Reis’s men will now be eager to mark their home debut in the Conference League with another strong showing, though their form at the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadyumu has been mixed this season, managing just one win from their last five home matches (3D, 1L), with three of those ending in goalless draws.
This clash marks Samsunspor’s first-ever meeting with Dynamo Kiev, and indeed their first encounter with a Ukrainian side – the club’s vice president recently stated that a win here could set them on course to comfortably progress beyond the league phase – and that belief seems well-founded given Dynamo’s current struggles.
The Ukrainian giants have been a shadow of their former selves in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last five matches in all competitions (4D, 1L).
Their European campaign began poorly, with a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on matchday one, in a match that exposed their lack of cutting edge in the final third, with no shots registered on target.
Dynamo’s form in continental competition offers little encouragement, having won just one of their last five European fixtures, losing the other four, and remain winless in their last five meetings with Turkish opponents (1D, 4L).
However, one small positive for the visitors is their improved away record in Europe, as they have avoided defeat in their last four trips (1W, 3D) since losing 3-1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League qualifying back in August, a statistic they will hope to extend in Samsun.
Samsunspor Conference League form:
Samsunspor form (all competitions):
Dynamo Kiev Conference League form:
Dynamo Kiev form (all competitions):
Team News
Samsunspor will be without influential midfielder Olivier Ntcham, who picked up an injury during the win over Kayserispor, while Soner Aydogdu remains on the sidelines.
Youngster Ebrima Ceesay is also unavailable, and defender Bedirhan Cetin continues his recovery from a knee problem.
In addition, Efe Ustun, Eyup Aydin, and Cherif Ndiaye are not eligible to feature, having been left out of the club’s registration for the league phase.
With Ntcham out, Holse and Musaba will be relied upon to provide creativity and attacking spark, while Marius Mouandilmadji searches for his first Conference League goal.
For Dynamo Kiev, Kristian Bilovar remains a doubt after missing their last outing through injury, while Angel Torres is ruled out.
Eduardo Guerrero should once again spearhead the attack as he looks to end a six-match goal drought, with Nazar Voloshyn expected to offer pace and width.
Veteran winger Andriy Yarmolenko could also play a role as he works his way back to full fitness.
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Kocuk; Yavru, Satka, Van Drongelen, Tomasson; Yuksel, Makoumbou; Musaba, Holse, Coulibaly; Mouandilmadji
Dynamo Kiev possible starting lineup:
Neshcheret; Karavaev, Popov, Thiare, Vivcharenko; Mykhaylenko; Ogundana, Buyalskyi, Pikhalyonok, Voloshyn; Guerrero
We say: Samsunspor 1-0 Dynamo Kiev
Samsunspor are riding a strong wave of form and have shown real confidence in recent weeks, while Dynamo Kiev continue to struggle and lack inspiration.
Wthe backing of their home crowd and momentum from their opening win, the Turkish side look well placed to capitalise and secure a second win in the competition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
No Data Analysis info
Previews by email
Click here to get Sports Mole‘s daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!
