Dynamo Kyiv vs Rapid

Dynamo began the brighter, playing with an experimental lineup under head coach Ihor Kostiuk. Inside the opening minutes, Rubchynskyi and Guerrero both had close-range efforts blocked, and Shola Ogundana squandered the best chance of the first half — racing through on goal but shooting straight at the Rapid goalkeeper. The match remained goalless at the break.

Rapid broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute. Omar El Sawy rose highest to meet a right-flank cross and powered a header past Dynamo substitute goalkeeper Illya Olkhovyi, who had replaced starter Surkis at half-time.

Dynamo responded within three minutes. Vitaliy Buyalskyi won a penalty and stepped up to convert it himself, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score at 1-1 in the 56th minute.

The match turned decisively in the 76th minute. A defensive miscommunication between Olkhovyi and Aliu Tiare gifted Rapid a penalty, which Borisav Burmaz dispatched to restore the Romanian side's lead.

Mohammed Kamara sealed the result in the 89th minute. The Liberian forward surged down the left wing, evaded Buyalskyi's sliding tackle, entered the penalty area and finished into the far corner from a tight angle — his first goal for Rapid București.

The second penalty conceded by Dynamo — the result of a mix-up between goalkeeper Olkhovyi and defender Tiare — was the decisive moment. Until the 76th minute, Dynamo had looked capable of pushing for a winner after Buyalskyi's equaliser. The unforced error shifted momentum irreversibly in Rapid's favour, and Kamara's late strike merely confirmed the margin.

• Vitaliy Buyalskyi (Dynamo Kyiv) — The experienced midfielder won and scored the penalty that briefly restored parity. His work rate in central areas was a rare bright spot for the Ukrainian side.
• Omar El Sawy (Rapid București) — Opened the scoring with a well-timed header and troubled the Dynamo defence throughout the second half.
• Mohammed Kamara (Rapid București) — Capped his debut for the club with a composed finish in the 89th minute, showing pace and composure to beat his marker and slot home.
• O. Yatsyk (Dynamo Kyiv) — Received the match's only yellow card (18th minute) in a midfield battle that Rapid gradually took control of.

The 0-0 half-time scoreline flattered Dynamo's dominance in the opening period. The Ukrainian side created several clear-cut chances — particularly Ogundana's one-on-one — but were unable to convert territorial advantage into goals. The second half told a different story: Rapid's three goals came from clinical finishing rather than sustained pressure, while Dynamo's sole goal came from the penalty spot. The defensive errors on both Rapid goals (the penalty concession and Kamara's solo run) will concern Kostiuk with competitive fixtures just a week away.

The defeat was Dynamo's first of their Austrian pre-season camp, following results against Slavia Prague (1-1), Zilina (5-1), and Wieczysta Krakow (4-2). Kostiuk's side finished 4th in the Ukrainian Premier League last season and won the Ukrainian Cup, earning a spot in Europa League qualifying.

Dynamo's next friendly is against LASK Linz on 3 July. Their competitive season begins on 9 July against Universitatea Cluj in the Europa League first qualifying round, with the match to be played in Lublin, Poland.

Rapid București, a Romanian top-flight side, will take confidence from this result as they continue their own pre-season preparations.

A useful workout for both sides but one that raises questions for Dynamo. The first-half attacking promise was undone by second-half defensive lapses and a lack of cutting edge when it mattered. With European football beginning in six days, Kostiuk will want swift improvements in concentration at the back.

Dynamo Kyiv starting XI (first half): Surkis; Korobov, Bilovar, Tiare, Vivcharenko; Malysh, Rubchynskyi, Buyalskyi, Ogundana; Gerich, Guerrero.

Substitutes used: Olkhovyi (GK), Husiev, Dykyi, Torres, Blenutse.