Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Dynamo Kyiv: UEFA Europa League Prediction (21.08.2025)

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 18:00 UTC, at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, local club Maccabi will host Dynamo Kyiv in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Fourth Qualifying Round.

It should be recalled that both clubs previously played in the Champions League qualifiers but fell victim to Cypriot side Pafos and moved to the less prestigious tournament. In addition, both the Israeli and Ukrainian teams eliminated Ħamrun in qualifying. However, the Israelis did it already in the Europa League, while the Ukrainians did so in the Champions League.

Considering these pre-match conditions, in the pair Maccabi Tel Aviv – Dynamo Kyiv, bookmakers do not highlight a stronger side and give approximately equal chances in the first leg. However, for advancing to the group stage of the Europa League, preference is given to the Ukrainians. For instance, betting on the “Yellow Devils” to win the first match is offered at odds of 2.63, while their passage to the group stage is at 2.20. For the “White-and-Blues,” the odds on the same markets are 2.58 and 1.67, respectively. The Over 2.5 goals market is priced at 1.79, suggesting analysts expect average scoring. Both teams to score is offered at 1.63.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Žarko Lazetić’s side are the reigning champions of Israel. It is unclear how the return match against Pafos would have unfolded if the “Yellows” had not been reduced to ten men in the middle of the first half. The team tries to play organized and compact football, but at European competition level this is not enough for reliable defense. Maccabi even conceded in each match against Ħamrun.

In attack, danger may come from Elad Madmon, Ion Nicolaescu, and Osher Davida. They are the main targets for passes when the team quickly transitions from defense to counterattack.

Dynamo Kyiv

Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team were favorites against Pafos, but betting experts clearly overestimated the attacking potential of the Kyiv side. When Vanat and company face disciplined and active defending, Dynamo’s combination play tends to collapse. Andriy Yarmolenko, now 35, tries to inject energy in attack, but he simply lacks the fitness to cover the right flank for the entire match. In the domestic league, the “White-and-Blues” have no issues with scoring, but in European competitions, the moment the opponent’s defense quality rises, it becomes extremely difficult to create scoring chances.

Head-to-Head Statistics

In the Europa League 2011, the teams drew both matches. In the Champions League 2015, Dynamo Kyiv won both encounters.

Prediction

These are two approximately equal opponents who will be well motivated. The best bet is on both teams to score at odds of 1.63.