Big guns misfire ahead of deciding legs

Seasoned European campaigners FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Basel 1893 both suffered their first domestic defeats of the season at the weekend ahead of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round deciders this week.

Setbacks
Two-time UEFA Cup Winners' Cup champions Dynamo had started with successive victories to assume early leadership of the Ukrainian Premier League, while Swiss double winners Basel were setting the early pace winning three games from as many outings. Both, though, came unstuck. Dynamo lost 2-1 at home to FC Metalist Kharkiv to surrender top spot to FC Metalurh Donetsk, whereas Christian Gross' Basel failed to find the net in a 2-0 defeat at FC Sion.

Contrasting fortunes
Dynamo and Basel's opponents on Wednesday, however, both won to ensure they head into the return legs in confident mood. Trailing Dynamo 2-1 from the first leg in Dublin, Drogheda United FC enjoyed a 2-0 home win over Bray Wanderers AFC on Friday to consolidate fifth place, while IFK Göteborg – level 1-1 with Basel – won for the fourth straight Allsvenskan match when they defeated Malmö FF 2-0. NK Dinamo Zagreb warmed up for their home leg against NK Domžale with a 3-1 over NK Inter Zaprešic while the Slovenian outfit, 3-0 down in the tie, played out a goalless draw with league leaders NK Celje.

Tampere turnaround
Having suffered a 3-1 home reverse at the hands of FC Artmedia Petržalka last week, Finland's Tampere United received a shot in the arm ahead of the second leg in Slovakia by comprehensively beating Rovaniemi PS 5-0 at home. Artmedia won 2-1 at FC Nitra. Norwegian champions SK Brann recovered from consecutive league defeats with a 4-1 victory against Tippeligaen strugglers Ham-Kam Fotball as they prepare to face Latvia's FK Ventspils leading 1-0 after the first leg.

Rapid relief
Also celebrating three points ahead of their home tie against FC Sheriff were AC Sparta Praha as the Czech runners-up kicked off their 1. Liga campaign in perfect fashion by beating FK Mladá Boleslav 1-0. Elsewhere, following their 3-0 away loss to Anorthosis Famagusta FC last week, SK Rapid Wien received a morale boost thanks to a 3-1 win over SV Kapfenberg and Aalborg BK – who lead FK Modriča 5-0 – recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 at Vejle BK to register their first win of the season. In Hungary, Fenerbahçe SK's opponents MTK Budapest started their domestic campaign with a 1-1 draw against Budapest Honvéd FC as they bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the tie.