Pafos Edges Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 in UCL Qualifier

Pafos takes a 1-0 lead into the second leg against Dynamo Kyiv after Anderson Silva's late goal in the UEFA Champions League qualifier.

Joao Correia collected a loose ball from a cleared corner and launched a counter-attack...

Pafos took a slender lead into the second leg against Dynamo Kyiv after Anderson Silva's late goal in Poland. The Cypriot side, riding high on their win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, started strong, dominating the opening 10 minutes. Their efforts paid off when Silva's late strike gave them a crucial advantage heading into the second leg.

Pafos' Jaja was a thorn in Dynamo Kyiv's side, forcing goalkeeper Ruslan Neshcheret to make a low save. He was also involved in the build-up to Muamer Tankovic's headed chance, which flew over from just 10 yards out. However, this was one of the few bright spots for Dynamo in a first half that turned out to be a stop-start and uneventful affair.

Eventually, the home side found their feet but found themselves wasteful in front of goal. With 10 minutes left of the first half, Vladyslav Vanat’s excellent body swerve allowed the ball to run into the path of Vladyslav Dubinchak, but he hammered his shot against the near post from a tight angle.

Five minutes later, Vanat himself missed the best opportunity of the match, as he sent his header over the bar after being left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.

Andriy Yarmolenko led the charge for Dynamo Kyiv in the second half, making several attempts to break the deadlock. He made a deep driving run that caused chaos in the Pafos defense, but his cross sailed across the goal, evading Dubinchak's outstretched foot.

🏁 Прикра поразка в першій частині двоматчевого протистояння з «Пафосом».

Гра на Кіпрі відбудеться 12 серпня.

🇺🇦 Динамо 0️⃣:1️⃣ Пафос 🇨🇾 pic.twitter.com/tFxq6GdZnl

— FC Dynamo Kyiv (@DynamoKyiv) August 5, 2025

Moments later, Yarmolenko's intricate pass led to Vanat falling in the box under pressure from Derrick Luckassen, but, having initially awarded a penalty, referee Sandro Scharer reversed his decision after a VAR review.

As Yarmolenko departed just after the hour mark, seemingly so did any life from Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team, and eventually they paid the price with just six minutes left to go.

Joao Correia collected a loose ball from a cleared corner and launched a counter-attack, finding Anderson Silva in the Kyiv half. Silva remained calm and scored, giving Pafos a crucial lead to defend in the second leg at the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium.