Melbourne City FC face Ukrainian club FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at New York University’s Abu Dhabi Campus this Sunday 18 January in the second match of the Club’s Abu Dhabi mid-season tour.
Founded in 1918, Dnipro competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, which consists of 26 matches per season, and is currently third in the league after 14 matches, behind Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk, with 8 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses for a total of 28 points.
Dnipro started the season well but has failed to record a win in its last five matches before the Ukrainian Premier League winter break, which commences in December 2014 and ends next month.
One of the top teams in Ukraine, Dnipro finished last season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, although the side were knocked out in the qualifiers.
Currently progressing through the Europa League, where they regularly make the last 16, Dnipro’s last match was against Saint-Etienne (a 1-0 home win) in the Europa League on December 11.
Their next official match is not util February 19, against Olympiacos in the Europa League (Round of 16), but its players have just arrived back from holidays on January 9.
Myron Markevych, who holds the record for most games coached in the Ukrainian Premier League, coaches Dnipro and the 63-year-old is in his first season in charge of Dnipro, taking over from Juande Ramos.
The club’s key players include 27-year-old Nikola Kalinic, who is a former Blackburn Rovers striker and current striker for the Croatian national team, winger Evgen Konoplyanka and Roman Zozulya.
Match Details
Mid-Season Friendly
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Melbourne City FC vs. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
New York University Abu Dhabi Campus, Abu Dhabi
Kick-Off: 7pm
