published: thursday 18 september 2014, 23.19cet rio ave fc 0-3 fc dynamo kyiv
the portuguese hosts endured a tough group stage debut as serhiy rebrov's side took the points in this group j opener.
• rio ave suffer loss in their maiden uefa europa league group match • first-half goals from andriy yarmolenko and younes belhanda provide tough baptism for hosts • artem kravets adds third in controlled display from serhiy rebrov's side • dynamo record only second victory in eight games on portuguese soil • next games: aab v rio ave, dynamo kyiv v steaua (2 october)
greater european pedigree and experience told as fc dynamo kyiv spoiled rio ave fc's uefa europa league debut with a 3-0 win in group j.
pumped up for the occasion, an enthusiastic rio ave put their bodies on the line for the cause, as epitomised by marcelo blocking aleksandar dragovic's early volley. cássio then saved a rising domagoj vida shot, but there was nothing the brazilian goalkeeper could do when andriy yarmolenko – wearing the captain's armband after goalkeeper olexandr shovkovskiy's late injury withdrawal – cut in off the right wing and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed curler which found the net via the post.
the dynamo pressure was telling and within five minutes serhiy rebrov's side were two goals to the good, younes belhanda finding the corner with a diagonal effort after playing a one-two with jeremain lens. only another timely cássio save prevented dynamo's moroccan schemer from scoring again from a clever corner routine, while diego lopes wasted rio ave's best chance of the first half when he slammed a volley into the side netting.
marcelo headed over ten minutes after the restart as the hosts continued the fightback, which was brought to a grinding halt when artem kravets converted from an acute angle, latching onto the rebound after cássio had spilled a belhanda blaster. home substitute alhassan wakaso grazed an upright late on, yet a consolation goal would not come for pedro martins' men.
