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December 9, 2009, 20:45 CET – Lobanovskiy Dynamo Stadium, Kiev

There comes a time when nothing else matters.
There comes a time when tactics are set aside, instructions are forgotten and all preceding events are left to rot in an anonymous sector of the mind.
This time has now arrived for FC Barcelona, in the form of the UEFA Champions League.

The song will play.
The whistle will sound.
And the ball will be kicked off.

“Do or Die”
Defined as ‘Requiring supreme effort to avoid the dire consequences of failure’ It is a definition that depicts the exact situation that four champion clubs now find themselves in.

Group F
The once-touted ‘formality’ group has now become the most open of the bunch with all four competing teams still fully able to qualify for the knockout stages.

The current European holders FC Barcelona and Italian champions Inter Milan were set to battle it out for top spot whilst the formally unknown Russian champions Rubin Kazan were set to crumble at the bottom of the table with their Ukrainian counterparts Dynamo Kiev.
The award for underestimation of the year has now been presented as everything is left to play for in this titanic match day 6 with all teams a chance at clinching top spot. Certain scenarios could ultimately see Barca knocked out in the group stage for the first time since 2001.

Barcelona currently sit unstably at the top of the group on 8 points whilst Inter Milan and Rubin Kazan are beneath them on 6.
The Ukrainian’s – who have thus far only managed one win in the Champions League, just under two months ago – have stumbled to the bottom of Group F, however, should they manage an unlikely 3-0 win at home tonight, they could secure themselves first place, as well as possibly knocking out the Catalans who are yet to score on the road this season in the lucrative European tournament.

Domestically, Dynamo remain undefeated in their last 15 matches after having won 12 and drawn the remaining 3 respectably. They currently have the same 5 point cushion as their Blaugrana counterparts atop their league table and have integrated flickers of that league form into their Champions League fixtures after having scored 3 goals against Inter Milan including 2 at the San Siro. This statistic has seen them score more goals than Barcelona who found the back of the net 18 times in the same competition last year.

Back on the domestic front, Barcelona have themselves been in scintillating form of late as they remain undefeated after having come off a sensational win against fierce rivals Real Madrid as well as two well fought victories on the road against Xerez and Deportivo La Coruna.

Team News

Dynamo Kiev

Former Russia Manager Valeri Gazzaev will be without two players that took to the field in that Camp Nou clash a little over a month ago with Yevgen Khacheridi and Pape Diakhate both out via injury as well as former team captain and star right back Badr El Kaddouri also adding to the absentee list after having not played since late August due to an ankle injury.

Predicted Starting XI, Dynamo Kiev: Shovkovskiy – Leandro Almeida – Betao – Mikhalik – Gusev – Eremenko – Ninkovic – Vukojevic – Gérson Magrão – Milevskiy – Shevchenko

Barcelona

The big news for Barcelona is that after 566 days on the sidelines Gabriel Milito has been declared fit to play and has been announced in Pep Guardiola’s 20 man squad to travel to Kiev and should the Blaugrana have secured the 3 points before the final whistle the Argentine may just see a few precious minutes.

Meanwhile Mexican Rafael Marquez has also been named in the squad after he was omitted from Saturday’s clash at the Riazor due to what was described by Guardiola as “technical difficulties.”

Predicted Starting XI, Barcelona: Valdes – Alves – Puyol – Pique – Abidal – Xavi – Toure – Keita – Messi – Ibrahimovic – Iniesta

Key Players

Oleksandr Shovkovskiy

Dynamo have enough talent up front with Milevskiy and Shevchenko forming a deadly duo in Ukraine this season and when chances are presented to them they are a sure bet to convert. If the midfield is providing and the strikers performing all the pressure will be heaped onto an in form Shovkovskiy who is yet to concede in his sides last 4 league matches. If he can maintain this squeaky clean record tonight his side could well have the forever stacking odds against them lowered.

Lionel Messi

Scoring the first and having a major involvement in the second saw the ‘pint-sized Argentine’ as he’s becoming known as at totalBarça, earn himself a man of the match accolade as he danced around the Dynamo defence in his sides home leg.

Messi has recently come off a sensational performance against Deportivo on the weekend as he sent two past Aranzubia. The first a perfectly placed bottom corner rocket and the second a bullet header into the top corner.
The newly crowned Ballon d’Or is once again the key man in attack and midfield as he provides a constant link and continues to strengthen a deadly partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His sublime finishing and jaw-dropping runs will once again run riot over a soon to be stunned Dynamo Kiev defence.

Prediction

Scores from the Rubin – Inter match will be fed live to the Lobanovskiy stadium as the result in that match could mean the difference between qualification or humiliation for both the sides.

From the first minute, Barcelona will show an obvious air of dominance as they take their game to Dynamo and once again teach a footballing lesson. Predictions show that – despite it not being quite as cold as Barca’s earlier trip to Russia – this fixture is set to take place in freezing conditions and this may restrain Barca in some areas. However, a structured setup and good movement is all that is needed to unlock the ‘Bilo-Syni’ defence and one would be safe to expect Barcelona going a couple ahead early on.

As the game grows old Dynamo may discover that they are fighting a lost battle and ease off, resulting in a conclusion that is nothing short of a Barcelona onslaught.

Dynamo Kiev 0 – 4 Barcelona

Leo10