Dynamo U-19 learns its opponent in the UEFA Youth League: the Kyiv side will face Scotland's Rangers

In Nyon, Switzerland, at UEFA headquarters, the draw for the Champions Path of the 2026/27 UEFA Youth League was held. It was at this stage of the European competition that the first opponent of the Kyiv Dynamo youth team (U-19) was determined. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official website of European football. The draw set the schedule and pairings for the second qualifying round, in which the Kyiv side will start immediately due to the country's high ranking.

Why Dynamo ended up in the Champions Path

Despite the fact that Kyiv Dynamo finished only second in the Ukrainian championship, its youth team entered the Champions Path for an objective reason: Donetsk Shakhtar, as the country's champion, will compete in the main stage of the tournament. Thus, it was the "white-and-blues" who earned the right to represent Ukraine in this line. The country's high ranking allowed the Kyiv side to skip the first qualifying round and begin their campaign straight from the second stage, which shortens the path to the main tournament and reduces the load on the young players.

The Scottish barrier: Rangers

The opponent of the "white-and-blues" in the second qualifying round will be Scotland's Rangers. The first leg of the tie is scheduled for October 28 and will be conditionally a home game for the Dynamos, while the return match will take place on November 4 in Glasgow. It is this pairing that will determine which of the two teams will continue the fight in the third round of the Champions Path.

Prospects for the third round

In the event of successfully overcoming the Scottish barrier, Dynamo will play in the third round against the better team from the tie between the Netherlands' AZ Alkmaar and Turkey's Gaziantep. The matches at this stage are scheduled for November 25 and December 9. The winners of the third round will earn places in the round of 16 of the UEFA Youth League, where they will meet representatives of the Champions League Path, which will be a real test for the Kyiv side at the European level.

Preparation context

In parallel with determining the European schedule, the team continues its preparation for domestic matches. It was previously announced who would coach Dynamo in the match against LNZ, which adds context to the current stage of the youth squad's preparation. Thus, the draw in Nyon became the starting point for the Kyiv side in the 2026/27 European campaign, where the first serious hurdle has already been marked by Scotland's Rangers.