Dynamo defeat ahead of PSG test
Ukraine's flagship club Dynamo Kiev come into Wednesday's Champions League Group A encounter with French visitors on the back of a dissappointing domestic league loss in the weekend.
On Saturday, Dynamo suffered a 1-0 defeat in Donetsk at the hands of the city's second club Metalurg. The hosts' Bulgarian midfielder Velizar Dimitrov scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute.
In the match at Donetsk, Dynamo were, however, without several of their first-choice players.
Dynamo coach Oleg Blokhin rested his Nigerian forward Ideye Brown while defender Taras Mykhalik and Croatian midfielder Nico Kranjcar were sidelined with injuries.
Brazilian forward Raffael will likely miss the Tuesday's match as he also features on his team's injury list.
Blokhin said he was upset with his team's performance in the match at Donetsk, adding the defeat may affect his side's preparations for the Champions League encounter.
"We played really badly against Metalurg, showing lack of will power and fighting spirit," he said after the match in Donetsk.
"We are coming into the match with PSG in low spirits following such a lacklustre performance."
The veteran coach meanwhile said he would urge his players to forget Saturday's result as soon as possible and prepare for the deciding Champions League match the best way possible.
"We have no other choice but to win on Tuesday to keep alive our chances for a place in the knock-out stage," he said. "It will be a really tough mission but we will fight up to the end until we have a slightest chance to make it."
PSG, who slid off the top of the French table following an abysmal weekend home loss to Rennes, will be without dynamo Jeremy Menez, who has an ankle injury.
They will at least have talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic back after the man who floored England last week with four goals missed the Rennes debacle through suspension.
Thiago Motta and Mamahou Sakho will also return as PSG look to build on a strong record against Ukrainian sides - their only loss in nine previous encounters was a 2009 Uefa Cup quarterfinal defeat, in Kiev.
