Dynamo Hold Off Tenacious Metalist

Metalist 3 - 2 Dynamo Kyiv

FC Dynamo Kyiv came through a stiff examination from domestic rivals FC Metalist Kharkiv, an Andriy Berezovchuk own goal eleven minutes from time proving decisive, to become the first ever Ukrainian side to reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

See-saw tie
Dynamo led 1-0 after the first leg, but the advantage lasted just 29 minutes in Kharkov as Valentyn Sliusar opened the scoring. Jajá completed the turnaround at the start of the second half and, though Goran Sabljić edged the visitors back ahead on the away goals rule with 22 minutes remaining, Walter Anibal Acevedo swiftly made it 3-1 on the night. It looked to be enough for a team that have been struggling of late but Berezovchuk put through his own net to make sure Dynamo's name was in the hat for the last-eight draw.

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Familiar foes
Few would have predicted such a tight match at the start of the evening as Yuri Semin's side, unbeaten since 25 November, had been on a four-match winning run, including two victories against their opponents. Yet it was soon clear they would not have things their own way at the Metalist Stadium. The hosts, without a victory in their last four outings, quickly took the initiative, Jajá testing Stanislav Bogush within the opening two minutes. Edmar also went close before Sliusar made the pressure count, guiding in Acevedo's cross to make it all-square on aggregate.

Frenetic finale
Spurred into action, only the woodwork prevented Olexandr Aliyev from restoring Dynamo's advantage soon after half-time and it got worse before it got better for the visitors as Jajá lashed in a 56th-minute free-kick. Dynamo hit back 12 minutes later, though, when the lively Aliyev's cross was met by Sabljić, and the tension was ratcheted up still further when Acevedo struck. Myron Markevich's side looked to have done enough for a famous victory, but Berezovchuk inadvertently broke Metalist hearts and Ukraine's duck as Dynamo became the first Premier League side to grace the last eight thanks to an away-goals win. Half an hour later, FC Shakhtar Donetsk became the second.

( UEFA )