In the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Europa League, Kyiv's Dynamo lost to Greek PAOK with a score of 2:3. The match, held in Thessaloniki, was tense and high-scoring: the Kyivians took the lead but failed to maintain their advantage due to their own mistakes and missed opportunities at the end.

Goal-Scoring Start and Defensive Errors

The match started rapidly. Already in the 3rd minute, Dynamo took the lead. After shifting the ball from one flank to the other, Andriy Dubinchak found Volodymyr Brazhko in the second tempo, who confidently beat the visiting goalkeeper, Jiří Pavlenka.

Despite the fact that the Kyivians controlled the ball later on, the Greeks played more dangerously. In the 13th minute, Dynamo's defense let them down: Bilovar's poor actions allowed Kontelis, receiving a pass from Zhivkovic, to beat Neshcheret and equalize the score.

The visitors' second goal was scored in the 38th minute. In a duel with Kontelis, Brazhko deflected the ball to Zafeiris, who had no trouble converting his chance. By halftime, the score was 1:2 in favor of PAOK.

Second Half: Santamaria's Strike and Kyiv's Hopes

The Greeks started the second half confidently. In the 51st minute, Santamaria struck a billiard shot from the edge of the area, hitting the lower corner of Dynamo's goal — 3:1. However, subsequently, the ball belonged more often to the Ukrainian club.

After Andriy Yarmolenko and Viktor Buyalskyi came on in the 68th minute, Dynamo began to create real threats. In the 77th minute, thanks to the efforts of Yarmolenko, Kendzera, and Buyalskyi, a chance was created, and Lonwijk reduced the deficit to one goal with a precise shot into the far post.

The Kyivians had other chances as well. Two consecutive episodes involving Matvey Ponomarenko were particularly memorable, which the striker will probably remember for a long time. Despite the fact that Dynamo spent the end of the match at the opponent's goal, they failed to equalize the score.

What's Next?

The final whistle confirmed the visitors' willing victory with a score of 3:2. The return match will take place on July 30 in Thessaloniki. If the Ukrainian giant can defeat the Greeks on aggregate, the next opponent for Igor Kostyuk's team will be the winner of the Hammarby (Sweden) — Anderlecht (Belgium) tie.