Dynamo Kyiv win Champions League qualifier at neutral venue
Sports
Dynamo Kyiv won the first leg of Champions League third qualifying round tie 1-0 against Sturm Graz
PARIS (AFP) - Dynamo Kyiv won the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie 1-0 against Austria s Sturm Graz on neutral ground in Poland on Wednesday.
Dynamo, who were second in Ukraine last season when the league was abandoned following Russia s invasion, played the game in Lodz because of the ongoing conflict in their country.
Oleksandr Karavaev, the hero of Dynamo s extra-time win away to Fenerbahce in the second round, again scored the decisive goal as he volleyed in after 28 minutes.
The Ukrainians will take a slender advantage to Austria for the second leg on August 9. The winners of the tie will likely face two-time European champions Benfica for a place in the group stage.
Benfica, who reached the quarter-finals last season, crushed Midtjylland of Denmark 4-1 in Lisbon on Tuesday with Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt are on course for the play-off round following Wednesday s 5-0 rout of Zalgiris Vilnius.
Ghana winger Osman Bukari struck three times as Red Star Belgrade, winners of the 1991 European Cup, also demolished Armenia s Pyunik 5-0.
Israel s Maccabi Haifa thrashed Cypriots Apollon Limassol 4-0, while Ferencvaros drew 1-1 away to Qarabag in Baku.
