Kelly ready for Dnipro test

Published Aug. 24, 2011 3:16 p.m. ET

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The Cottagers travelled to Ukraine for the second-leg clash on the back of last week's 3-0 victory, which came courtesy of a Clint Dempsey brace and an Aaron Hughes effort. Kelly impressed in the first leg at Craven Cottage and, should he feature again, is expecting a barrage of attacks from Dnipro. "It's going to be difficult, but if we get a goal over there, then hopefully that would be the tie over," he told the Ealing Gazette. "I think they gave us a little bit of respect with a man in front of the back four instead of behind a main striker in the first leg and I think we took full advantage of that. "They've got it all to do in the second leg so we can imagine them going for it. "I can't imagine them having a player sitting in front of the back four this time and it will be a totally different game. They have to come at us from the start. "But I think the way we played in the first leg, they will be wary of us on the counter-attack and that's going to be in the back of their minds." Despite last week's 3-0 defeat, Dnipro impressed in patches and were unfortunate not to find an elusive away goal. "They are a very good side," Kelly added. "Hands down the best that we've faced in this year's competition. "They are a tricky side, similar to Shakhtar [Donetsk] last year. "We nullified them early on by getting tight to them and imposed our own game on them and will try to do the same over there." While Fulham's progress to the Europa League group stages looks all but certain, pressure is mounting on Dnipro manager Juande Ramos for his side to impress. The Spaniard - who controversially replaced current Fulham boss Martin Jol as Tottenham manager four years ago - came under close scrutiny from the assembled Ukrainian press after last week's defeat. Dnipro have been in indifferent form of late and the former Sevilla coach has come under increasing pressure. Ramos has denied he fears the sack and has vowed to bounce back from last week's disappointment. "It is clear that after the result in the first match that we are not the favourites," he said today. "At the same time, I'll tell the players before the game 'you do not need to think that we have to score four goals'. "We need to go out and score the first goal. If that happens, everything can change internally and you can start playing better. "Then we must try to score the second goal and then the third. "There is no need to convince the players. "We must try to score as much as possible during the match."