Preview: Sturm Graz vs. Dynamo Kiev - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors head in with a slender lead after a 1-0 win in the first leg last week, having already progressed past Fenerbahce in qualifying.

Match preview

After a second-placed finish in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, Sturm Graz earned a third-round entry into Champions League qualifying, hoping to reach the group stage of Europe's top competition for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign.

They were drawn against Dynamo Kiev, travelling to Warsaw for the first leg last Wednesday and left with work to do as their opponents came out with a one-goal advantage.

Looking to bounce back from that defeat and build confidence ahead of the home leg, Christian Ilzer's side took on Ried away from home in their third league game of the new season on Saturday, and Christoph Lang gave them an early lead with Die Schwoazn looking on track to see out a second straight top-flight win as their hosts were reduced to 10 men on the hour mark.

Sturm Graz were unable to see out that result, though, with Ried earning a 77th-minute penalty which Christoph Monschein converted to force a share of the spoils.

Now unbeaten in three league games but left disappointed by an underwhelming draw last time out, Ilzer's side will still know they have every chance of progressing to the Champions League playoff round heading into their home leg and will hope to get off to a strong start and overturn the deficit in Graz.

After the Ukrainian top flight was put on hold, Dynamo Kiev have played very little competitive football in recent months, but, after a packed schedule of friendlies in June and July, they began in qualifying with a second-round tie against Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

The first leg in Poland finished as a goalless draw, and the Bilo-syni looked set to progress with a 1-0 away win thanks to Vitaliy Buyalskyi's 57th-minute goal, only for Attila Szalai to force a period of extra time with an equaliser in the dying embers.

Mircea Lucescu's side would eventually prevail, as Oleksandr Karavaev hit the only goal in the additional period to book his side a spot in the third qualifying round.

Facing another challenge against Sturm Graz, the Ukrainian outfit again travelled to Poland after a friendly defeat to Everton, and they took a lead through Karavayev in the first half.

With that being the only goal of the first leg, Dynamo Kiev are, at least, able to make the trip with a slender lead to defend, but, knowing their work is far from done, Lucescu will be desperate to see another positive performance from his side on Wednesday.

Sturm Graz Champions League form:

Sturm Graz form (all competitions):

Dynamo Kiev Champions League form:

Dynamo Kiev form (all competitions):

Team News

Sturm Graz's line will be led by 19-year-old Rasmus Hojlund, who has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, netting four goals and providing two assists in four domestic games thus far.

He will again be joined by Manprit Sarkaria, who got his own season off to a flying start with a brace and two assists in their resounding cup win over SC Rothis.

Elsewhere, Gregory Wuthrich and David Affengruber should continue to partner up at the heart of a back four, with no real need for Ilzer to make wholesale changes at this stage.

Dynamo Kiev are also unlikely to make many alterations, given the lack of league and cup football the squad has been able to rotate in recent months.

In their last two qualifying games, the attack has been led by Artem Besedin, who has scored 35 goals and registered 12 assists in 125 appearances for the Ukrainian giants.

Oleksandr Karavaev should also continue to operate in the attack, after he scored the only goal in the first leg from the right wing, while captain Sergiy Sydorchuk will again anchor the midfield.

Sturm Graz possible starting lineup:

Siebenhand; Gazibegovic, Affengruber, Wuthrich, Dante; Stankovic; Hierlander, Prass; Horvat, Hojlund, Sarkaria

Dynamo Kiev possible starting lineup:

Bushchan; Kedziora, Zabarnyi, Popov, Dubichak; Sydorchuk; Karavaev, Shepelev, Shaparenko, Buyalskyi; Besedin

We say: Sturm Graz 1-1 Dynamo Kiev (Dynamo Kiev win 2-1 on aggregate)

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