by Ian S. Palmer
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Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv will be taking on English Premier League side Manchester City in a two-legged, European Champions League round-of-16 showdown. The first leg of the home-and-away series takes place this Wednesday, February 24 in Kyiv, with the second clash coming two weeks later at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. Neither side has won a Champions League title as of yet and both are hoping to change that this year.
Dynamo Kyiv vs Manchester City – Pinnacle SOCCER BETTING LINE:
- Pinnacle currently lists Manchester City as the favorites at +128 with Dynamo +244 and a draw also at +244
Dynamo Kyiv vs Manchester City – Head to Head:
- The two sides met in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League’s round of 16 stage with Kyiv winning 2-0 at home and Man City taking their home contest 1-0.
Man City heads into the match in fourth place in the Premier League with 47 points from 14 wins, seven draws and five losses. They’ve scored a league-high 48 goals and allowed 28 against. Man City is six points behind league-leading Leicester City with 12 games to go in the season and six points ahead of fifth-place Manchester United. City needs to hold onto their top-four position or win this season’s Champions League to qualify for the tournament again in 2016/17. City is expected to be without the injured Samir Nasri, Bacary Sagna, Fernando, Fabian Delph, Jesus Navas, Kevin de Bruyne, Wilfried Bony and Eliaquim Mangala.
Kyiv is currently sitting in second place in the Ukrainian Premier League with 14 wins, a draw and a loss for 43 points. They’re tied with Shakhtar Donetsk on points, but are second in the standings due to an inferior goal difference. Kyiv has scored 37 goals and allowed a league-low six against while Donetsk has 50 for and 11 against. Kyiv finished the Champions League group stage in second place in Group G behind England’s Chelsea. They had three wins, two draws and a loss for 11 points with eight goals scored and four allowed. Man City won Group D with four wins and two losses for 12 points. They scored 12 times and conceded eight. Antunes will miss the game for Kyiv due to suspension while Morozyuk and Rybka are doubtful.
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Man City has reached the round of 16 for the very first time and Kyiv is hoping to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since the 1998/99 campaign. It’s the first time Kyiv has reached the last 16 since 1999/2000. Kyiv is unbeaten in their past nine home games in Europe and have lost just twice to English teams at home with five wins and six draws. They haven’t lost at home to an English club since Man United beat them in 2007/08. Man City won twice in three road attempts during the group stage, but has lost all three previous two-game series in Europe. Dynamo has been enjoying their winter break, but has played several friendly matches since mid-January.
Changes to Dynamo’s Champions League squad include the addition of Oleksandr Yakovenko, Nikita Korzun and Artur Rudko while Artem Kravets, Younes Belhanda and Niko Kranjcar were dropped. For Man City, 19-year-old Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been added and the injured Samir Nasri has been dropped.
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