West Brom 1-1 Dynamo Kyiv - report from Austria as Baggies earn draw
New signing Nat Phillips scored as Albion earned a creditable 1-1 draw against Ukraine champions Dynamo Kyiv in Austria.
Phillips, the signing from Liverpool, powered in a bullet header from Mikey Johnston's cross 10 minutes after half-time in Bad Tatzmannsdorf.
A raft of changes followed for Ryan Mason's men, as well as the opponents, and a young Baggies side conceding an equaliser 14 minutes from time.
Albion were watched on by chairman and owner Shilen Patel and sporting director Andrew Nestor.
Dynamo are Ukraine champions after an invincible unbeaten 2024/25 campaign. Kyiv named a mixed outfit having lost 3-1 to Danish side FC Midtjylland the previous night.
Isaac Price sent a free-kick narrowly wide of the right post after barely a minute of action as the church bells finished chiming after kick-off.
A competitive and energetic work out broke out in soaring Burgenland temperatures. Tackles flew in the opening exchanges. Alex Mowatt eventually picked up a yellow card just before half hour for a late challenge.
Kyiv's Vladyslav Kabayav tested Joe Wildsmith with a swerving drive from distance and the keeper made a smart parry. Kyiv's Colombian winger Angel Torres fired well off-target.
Tom Fellows, with a mixture of hugging the right flank and darting inside, was a nightmare for youthful left-back Oleksiy Gusiev.
The first half's clearest opening was the final kick of the 45 minutes.
Darnell Furlong chipped a lovely ball for Fellows to get beyond Gusiev. The winger kept his cool and his low cross was perfect for the unmarked Price, but his tame strike from 10 yards was straight at goalkeeper Ruslan Neshcheret.
Fellows was withdrawn at the interval for Mikey Johnston, with Albion after the breakdown of his Flamengo move.Kyiv should have scored but Fedir Zadorozhnyi fluffed his lines and seconds letter Albion netted.
Mowatt sent a quick free-kick wide to Johnston, whose delivery was spot on for Phillips and the former Liverpool defender converted a bullet header.
A raft of changes for both followed on the hour, including Dynamo talisman Andriy Yarmolenko, as rain started.
A youthful Baggies settled and coped well, by and large. Price knocked down for Devante Cole, who shot at the goalkeeper.
Albion's Joe Wildsmith - in goal as Josh Griffiths missed out with a minor ankle knock - made a fine point-blank save from Kristian Bilovar but Kyiv broke through 14 minutes from time as Vanat broke through the defence to finish well into the corner.
Albion (4-4-1-1): Wildsmith; Furlong (Williams, 61), Phillips (Taylor, 61), Heggem (Diomande, 70), Styles (Frabotta, 61); Fellows (Johnston, 45), Diakite (Mfuamba, 70), Mowatt (Deeming, 61), Grant (Bostock, 70); Price (Bany, 70); Dike (Cole, 61).
Subs not used: Cisse (gk), Wallis (gk), Mohammed, Whitwell.
