Oleksandr Shovkovskyi will lead his unbeaten Dynamo Kyiv side against Cypriot champions Pafos in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday, August 5.
"We're taking this opponent very seriously despite our good form," the Ukrainian coach might say ahead of the crucial European fixture at Motor Lublin Arena in Poland.
Dynamo Kyiv have shown solid form recently, dispatching Maltese side Hamrun Spartans with identical 3-0 victories in both legs of the previous round. The "white-blues" followed that up with a narrow 1-0 win against Veres in their Ukrainian Premier League opener, thanks to Mykola Shaparenko's decisive goal.
Interestingly, Shovkovskyi's men have remained undefeated in both European competitions and domestic league throughout 2025, though their record in Lublin raises some concerns - they've managed just two wins in their last six matches at their temporary Polish home.
The Kyiv side hasn't appeared in the Champions League main stage since the 2021/22 season. Last year's campaign ended prematurely when they fell to Salzburg in the qualifiers - something Shovkovskyi is keen to avoid repeating.
As for their opponents, Pafos FC may be relative European novices with just two continental campaigns under their belt, but they shouldn't be underestimated. The Cypriot champions, guided by Juan Carlos Carcedo, reached the Conference League Round of 16 last season before bowing out to Djurgården.
Pafos earned their place in this round by eliminating Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv (1:1, 1:0). By the way, they enjoy the advantage of a fresher squad, as the Cypriot league doesn't begin until late August, while Dynamo are already juggling domestic fixtures.
The match will be officiated by Swiss referee Sandro Scherer, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 local time. Bookmakers favor Dynamo with odds of 1.84 for a home win, while Pafos are outsiders at 4.75.
Should Dynamo advance past Pafos, they'll face the winners of the Lech Poznań vs. Red Star Belgrade tie in the playoff round. Can Shovkovskyi's men take the first step toward ending their Champions League absence?
