Palace in Europe: Dynamo Kyiv deep dive

First-team

1 Oct 2025

As Crystal Palace prepare to face Dynamo Kyiv in our first league phase fixture of the UEFA Conference League, let’s take an in-depth look at our opponents.

The reigning Ukrainian champions, nicknamed the Bino-сnhі (The Blue & Whites), have a proud European history.

Boasting an excellent pedigree in continental competition, having previously lifted European silverware, they are gearing up for another campaign after reaching the league phase of the Europa League last season.

How they qualified...

Dynamo Kyiv produced a remarkable 2024/25 campaign to reclaim the Ukrainian league championship for the first time in four years.

Across 30 games, Dynamo produced an invincible campaign – winning 20 and drawing 10 of their fixtures, while scoring 61 goals.

Forward Vladyslav Vanat’s goals would prove crucial, the Ukraine international hitting 21 across all competitions, although he has since departed for Girona.

Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s side went mightily close to a league and cup double, reaching the final of the Ukrainian Cup, only to be beaten 6-5 on penalties by old rivals Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Europa League proved less successful. Only one win from eight matches, saw Kyiv finish outside the play-off positions and exit the competition.

However, it should be acknowledged that, as with this season, Dynamo had to play all home fixtures in Lublin, Poland, nearly 400 miles away from their base. This is due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, with domestic games still regularly suspended or postponed due to anti-strike sirens.

Following a 3-3 draw with Karpaty Lviv in their last game, Dynamo set a new club record for an unbeaten run in the league, now standing at a remarkable 39 games.]

By winning the title last season, Kyiv qualified for the Champions League qualification rounds. Defeat to Cypriot side Pafos FC saw them move into the play-off round of Europa League qualifying.

A 3-2 aggregate defeat to Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv ended Dynamo's interest in that competition, but they will now be targeting a deep run in the Conference League and maintaining their proud European history.

European record against English teams

Dynamo’s long European history has seen them play over 400 senior games in continental club competition.

Twice they won the old European Cup Winners’ Cup, in both 1975 and 1986, following the first triumph up by defeating German giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup. That first European trophy came under the guidance of legendary manager Valeriy Lobanovskyix, widely considered one of the greatest coaches of the 20th century.

Down the years they have crossed paths with English clubs on plenty of occasions. Aston Villa met Kyiv in 1982, winning 2-0 on aggregate in a European Cup quarter-final with Villa going on to lift the trophy.

Dynamo’s success in domestic competition saw them regular qualifiers for the rebranded Champions League, facing Newcastle United in the group stage in 1997/98, losing away and drawing at home.

The very next season an Arsenal side fresh from winning the domestic double were beaten 3-1 in Ukraine, with Dynamo eventually going all the way to the semi-final, inspired by brilliant centre-forward Andriy Shevchenko, who later played his football in England with Chelsea.

For four consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2004, Kyiv were drawn in a Champions League group containing an English team, facing the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal.

Victories were achieved over the latter two, although Kyiv were unable to finish above an English side and did not qualify for the latter stages during this period.

Their most recent meeting with English opposition came back in the 2018/19 Europa League. Kyiv were paired with Chelsea at the Round of 16 stage, with the west Londoners proving too strong, winning 8-0 on aggregate. The Blues would go on to win the trophy.

In total, Dynamo have faced English opposition on 32 occasions winning five of those fixtures.

Familiar faces

One name from the current Dynamo squad that may be remembered in England is Andriy Yarmolenko, a regular opponent for Palace from 2018-2022.

The winger spent this time across London with West Ham, having previously spent a decade with Dynamo before joining Borussia Dortmund.

During his spell with the Hammers, Yarmolenko took to the field four times in games against Palace, coming out on the winning side once.

Since leaving the London Stadium in 2022 Yarmolenko spent one year at club Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates, before returning to Kyiv for a second spell.

Match Details

Dynamo Kyiv v Crystal Palace

Thursday, 2nd October
17:45 BST kick-off / 18:45 CEST local time
UEFA Conference League
TNT Sports
Motor Lublin Arena, Poland

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