You're reading: Dynamo Kyiv bounces back with 2-0 shutout of Dinamo Zagreb in Champions League

Oleh Blokhin made a winning start in his first Champions League match as Dynamo Kyiv coach, the Ukrainian team beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the group stage on Wednesday.

Dynamo Kyiv midfielder
Oleh Gusev found the net in the third minute, and Dinamo Zagreb defender
Josip Pivaric scored an own goal in the 33rd from Taye Taiwo’s cross
into a crowded box.

Blokhin signed a four-year contract at Kyiv last month and will shortly relinquish his duties as Ukraine national team coach.

Dynamo Kyiv has three points from two games in Group A, while Dinamo Zagreb remains without a point.

FC Porto leads the standings with 6 points after beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the other group game. PSG has three points.

Dynamo
Kyiv came out with a fast, pressing tempo to allow Gusev to score by
meeting Ognjen Vukojeic’s 25-meter cross with a projectile header past
leaping goalkeeper Ivan Kelava.

“We started the match well and
scored a quick goal,” Blokhin said. “And the opposite side appeared to
become scared of what was shown on the scoreboard and the kind of play
we showed on the pitch in the first 20 minutes. We should have scored
two to three goals more and finish the match off with a stellar result.
We practically didn’t allow them to create anything at our net.”

“In
the second half, we made adjustments since we led 2-0. We put in a
substitute to strengthen the central field but a few moments weren’t to
my liking as our side allowed deep penetration. Nonetheless, Why?”

As
the first half progressed, though, Dinamo Zagreb started to enjoy more
possession and seemed to have regained its composure following the
nightmare start.

Dinamo Zagreb’s first incursion into opposition
territory came in the 11th minute and ended with midfielder Sammir
having a shot blocked.

Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Marcelo Brozovic
lured Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy out of his box in the
25th minute but failed to find the empty net.

The Zagreb team kept the pressure on dangerous midfielders Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleg Gusev.

The visitors began dominating possession in the second half, their forays into opposition territory giving them encouragement.

Shovkovskiy
was pressed into service for the first time by substitute Duje Cop’s
drive from the edge of the penalty area in the 55th minute.

Shovkovsky’s
clearing kick in the 59th bounced back from an opposing player’s heel,
forcing the ‘keeper to beat the forward in a race to the ball to save
his blushes.

“We knew we’re travelling to play against a strong
opponent, so therefore we thought we’d avoid a loss,” said Dinamo Zagreb
coach Ante Cacicid. “But the first 30 minutes of the match showed that
Kyiv were really strong. The first goal forced us to change our plan for
the game completely. Thus, the early goal impacted the result of the
match.”

The last time the two sides met was in the third
qualifying round of the 2003-04 Champions League, with Dynamo Kiev
winning 3-1 at home and 2-0 away.