What a game! In the 23th minute, Real Madrid was losing by 2-0, and their European passport was looking in serious danger. But the team recomposed themselves and they bridged the gap thanks to two performances from Raúl and Ronaldo. The point from Figo from a penalty, allowed the Madrid players to win the goal-average from the Ukranians, who will play their qualifier for the following round on the last day. Meanwhile, Madrid, if it wins against Leverkusen in three weeks time, will be enjoying its visit to Rome more peacefully. After the last four consecutive victories, Madrid was almost facing a “to be or not to be” situation in Europe. García Remón bet on the “Golden Balls" eleven to get a positive result from this game in Kiev. In Dynamo, Verpakovskis returned alter being disqualified. It was Madrid players who took control of the performance. With Guti and Zidane handling the ball, the Ukranians were waiting for a lethal counterattack to make Madrid re-live its bitter experience at Leverkusen… Two arrivals: two goals … And they got it. First, with a strike from Yussuf who, after a rebound in the defence, beat Iker (12th minute). And a second one, with a single-handed move from Verpakovskis (22th minute). There had been two direct stabs into the European heart, that could stop beating if Bayer won in Rome. The surprised players, were looking at each other, trying to find solutions for a game that, without being played badly, had become an authentic ordeal. It was time to risk it all. Winning spirit The team plotted and reacted. Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Zidane menaced Shovkovsky. The flow of the ball was fluid again, with constant supporting play and with an endlessly shifting front. The prize came soon. Figo took the ball twenty meters and found a corridor left by the injured Gravancic to connect with Raúl, who was placed in front of the Ukranian goalkeeper, and made reality their hopes of recovery (37th minute). But they had to keep on working. Half time was close when Helguera discovered another gap in the local defence. Ronaldo had won his position from his defender and, after a sensational cut, fell to the ground. Penalty. Figo, with his personal calm, re-balanced the game to its initial state (44th minute). The 83.000 spectators packing the Olympisky Stadium stayed frozen, and that with the thermometer almost touching the 0 ºC. In the second half, it was the time to finish off the work. After the excitement of the first half, both teams declared a truce. Celades came into play in substitution for Owen and the order was recomposed. Zidane went to the left and Raúl was sharing the forward position with Ronaldo. And this way, Figo almost had a third goal in his hands on two occasions, but Shovkovsky was unforgiving. The efforts they´d made was starting to show and the goal areas were being visited less frequently. Nevertheless, this inertia favoured the visiting side A golden point For the last fifteen minutes, Yosef Szabo bet on Cernat, the man who had finished off Leverkusen. The draw was keeping both teams in the fight for the qualification, and it was really worth it. Because of this, each ball was fought to the bitter end. A point gained in Kiev allows a win on goal-average to Dynamo, and allows to them pass to the eighth comfortably, although, winning the next day over Leverkusen, the panorama would be much clearer STATISTICS: 2 – DÍNAMO KIEV: Shovkovskyi; Gravancic, Sablic, Rodolfo, El Kaddouri (Nesmanchnyi 65th minute), Ghioane; Huysev, Yussuf, Diogo Rincón; Kleber and Verpakovskis (Cernat 75th minute). 2 – REAL MADRID: Casillas; Míchel Salgado, Helguera, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Guti, Zidane, Figo, Raúl; Owen (Celades 58th minute) and Ronaldo (Morientes 85th minute). GOALS: 1-0, 12th minute: Yussuf shoots from the front, and after a rebound from the defence, the ball goes beyond Casillas. 2-0, 22th minute:Verpakovskis finishes off a great one-man play. 2-1, 37th minute: Raúl beats Shovkovsky after a pass from Figo. 2-2, 44th minute Figo transforms the penalty committed against Ronaldo. REFEREE: Kyros Vassaras (Greek). Booked: Ghione (60th minute), Verpakovskis (67th minute), Rodolfo (74th minute), Ghioane (78th minute), Figo (85th minute). OTHER FACTS: 4th Day in the the Champions League Group. Olympiyski Stadium in Kiev. 83.000 spectators filled it to capacity. The temperature during the game was 6ºC. Florentino Pérez presided over the game from the President´s box. Álvaro Mejía and Diego López were eliminated.