Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Dynamo Kiev Prediction: Dynamo can deliver

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kiev were unable to make it through Champions League qualifying, but they are preparing to battle for a place in the Europa League proper, starting with their fixture at the TSC Arena on Thursday (19:00).

Dan Childs provides his Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Dynamo Kiev prediction, as well as the essential team news and match odds for the encounter in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Football Odds

Team news

Maccabi Tel Aviv could be without goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi, who hasn’t featured since he was forced off with an injury during a 1-0 loss to Pafos FC during the Champions League second qualifying round.

Kyiv are expected to be without midfielder Valentyn Rubchynskyi, who has been sidelined with an Achilles injury.

Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Dynamo Kiev odds

Maccabi Tel Aviv are 6/4 to pick up the win, while Dynamo can be backed at 13/8 to secure a first-leg advantage. The draw is a 23/10 chance.

The markets anticipate an entertaining contest with under 2.5 goals priced up at 10/11 and overs on offer at 4/5.

Dynamo Kiev to win @ 13/8

Dynamo Kiev’s quest to reach the League Phase of the Champions League came to an end with a 3-0 aggregate loss to Pafos FC, but the secondary prize of Europa League qualification could edge closer with a victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv at the TSC Arena.

There will be no proper home advantage over the course of the tie, with the first leg taking place in Serbia and the second being held at Arena Lublin in Poland.

And there wasn’t much to choose between the clubs in last season’s Europa League, with Maccabi Tel Aviv finishing 29th on six points and Dynamo ending two points worse off in 34th place.

Dynamo are hoping for a better experience this season, and they head to Serbia with a key quintet of Oleksandr Tymchyk, Mykola Shaparenko, Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, Vladyslav Kabayev and Mykola Mykhaylenko, who were involved in the latest Ukrainian national squad.

Opponents Maccabi are a powerful force in Israel, having won back-to-back national league titles, but they have generally struggled to make an impact on the European stage.

They overcame Maltese side Hamrun Spartans in the previous qualifying round - winning 5-2 on aggregate - but are facing a significant step up in class and may struggle to cope.

Under 2.5 goals @ 10/11

Kiev’s problem can be a failure to score enough goals. They have high hopes for striker Vyacheslav Vanat, who bagged 17 goals in last season’s Ukrainian championship, but were largely toothless in the Champions League qualifying third round against Pafos FC, losing 1-0 in Lublin and 2-0 in Limassol.

However, Dynamo have conceded just three goals across their last four European matches and their well-drilled defence could hold the key to a low-scoring success over Maccabi.

Offers

Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down