THE BATTLE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP: UPL PREDICTOR MATCHDAY 22 2018/19


THE BATTLE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP: MATCHDAY 22
THE UKRAINIAN FOOTBALL ROUND UP:
This week’s football round up will be relatively brief… and that’s through no large fault of our own.
Last Saturday’s fixtures (3 of them) saw a total sum of zero goals scored. 
All four teams who had a potential championship group place to secure all drew. Mariupol stayed in fifth as they played out a drab 0-0 with Chornomorets, Vorskla were held at home to Desna, whilst FC Lviv also had a stalemate with visiting Zorya! So much for the magic of the UPL!
Fortunately Sunday was slightly more entertaining albeit relatively one side matches for the league’s top two! 
Dynamo beat Arsenal Kyiv in a non contest Capital city Derby, with the hosts coming away as 4-0 victors thanks to goals from Harmash (2), Sidcley and a Tsyhankov penalty. It seemed that Dynamo were ready for their big home tie with Chelsea later in the week. 
Unfortunately, they weren’t. Dynamo were hopeless. They registered their first shot on target after 140 minutes of football against Chelsea. No attacking threat was seen from the stands or on TV, as the Kyiv 65,000 strong crowd were given further reason as to why they shouldn’t turn up week in week out to watch their home town side.

Dynamo’s biggest ever European home defeat loss completed a relatively poor European campaign from Ukrainian sides in general. We now pray that Oleksandriya can restore some pride in next year’s Europa League!
Elsewhere in the UPL, Shakhtar demolished Karpaty 5-0 in Kharkiv whilst Oleksandriya were denied their first victory of the year when Olimpik equalised in the 88thminute. They remain 3rdwith a 5-point lead over 4thplaced Zorya!
PREDICTOR TIME


A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
SATURDAY

Chornomorets Odesa v Oleksandriya
Todos’ prediction: Chornomorets have had a mini resurgence thus far since the turn of the year with a shock win, a draw and a narrow loss to Shakhtar. However, they still sit second bottom and it’s unlikely they’ll be moving away from there any time soon. 
Oleksandriya on the other hand have been far from impressive. They have also lost to Shakhtar this year whilst drawing their other two games against lower quality opposition. However, this game seems to be the perfect fixture for Oleksandriya to bounce back to winning ways. They were so close to three points last week so they will be hoping to come out the blocks all guns blazing. A typical low scoring but comfortable win for the visitors. 0-1
RESULT: 0-3: SITALO (5′ & 39′) BABOHLO (32′)
Zorya Luhansk v Shakhtar Donetsk
Todos’ prediction:This is likely to be dubbed the Game of the Week by many. However, looking at the recent fortunes of Zorya and their relatively inconsistent season so far this is likely to be a straightforward victory for Shakhtar despite a few cagey matches between the sides in recent seasons. 
Shakhtar have only the league and cup to play for now and are still 7 points clear of Dynamo so they will be wanting to ensure that they don’t encounter any slip ups ahead of playing their nearest rivals twice again in the Championship group stage of the league. If Dynamo can beat Zorya comfortably, then so can Shakhtar. 0-3
RESULT: 0-1: J.MORAES (25′)
SUNDAY

Desna Chernihiv v FC Lviv
Todos’ prediction:This game has a LOT on the line. Whoever wins, stands a great chance of gaining a Championship Group spot granting other fixtures go in their favour. Desna remain level on points with Vorskla in the 6thand 7thborderline spots whilst FC Lviv remain a point behind. This is a tough game to call as both sides have goal scorers in their side but so far this calendar year neither side’s forwards have had the greatest of luck in finding the back of the net. FC Lviv have lost one, won one and drawn one, with no goals being scored by their own players since the UPL returned from the winter break. Desna have a greater variety of threats, especially at set pieces and will be looking to exploit that today. As Desna are at home, they will edge this just. Whether it will be enough for them to gain entry into the Championship group we will have to wait and see.1-0
RESULT: 0-1: FERREIRA (58′)

Karpaty Lviv v Mariupol
Todos’ prediction: Mariupol likely need a point to secure themselves a spot in the Championship group and this fixture against an already secured ‘relegation group’ placed Karpaty should be easy enough for them to get it. 
Karpaty see the return of star man, Shved for this game but since their win against Vorskla a few weeks ago, the Lions have been unable to recreate anything close to such a performance. It will be a tight game, but neither sides’ defences are good enough to keep a clean sheet, hence there should be some goals with the attacking talent on display but it’s too close to call.1-1
RESULT: 1-1: PONDE (33′) / ZUBKOV (8′)
Olimpik Donetsk v Dynamo Kyiv
Todos’ prediction:After serious humiliation in midweek against Premier League Chelsea, Dynamo will want to put that disgrace behind them with another comprehensive victory against one of the low lying sides in the league. Olimpik have been struggling all season both in defence and in attack, and it’s likely that the gulf in class between Dynamo and Shevchuk’s side will be apparent for all to see. 
With some injuries still affecting Khatskevich’s men, he will likely field a similar makeshift side but even so it should have enough to beat Olimpik. A walk in the park and onto the next one for the Kyiv club. 0-3
RESULT: 1-2: HAI (27′ P) / TSYHANKOV (14′ P) RUSYN (39′)
MONDAY

Arsenal Kyiv v Vorskla Poltava 
Todos’ prediction:It’s one of the most underwhelming MNF of the season, that sees two sides face each other who can’t score a goal between them. Vorskla who remain without a goal scoring threat featured in a 0-0 draw last week which was no surprise to anyone. Arsenal were handed a hiding from Dynamo which was inevitable. 
These two sides meet with Vorskla desperate to pick up any points in order to try and secure a Championship spot for themselves for the rest of the season. It’s likely they will muster a goal out of somewhere and have their solid defence to thank for not conceding. The narrowest of victories will see Poltava take the three points home.   0-1
RESULT: 2-2: VAKULENKO (8′ & 90′ P) / SHARPAR (24′ P & 56′ P)
MATCHDAY 22 FINAL SCORE: 80
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PREDICTOR LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 22
Todos
1060
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P22
W15
D2  L5

THE KYIV DERBY: UPL MATCHDAY 21 PREDICTOR 2018/19

THE KYIV DERBY: MATCHDAY 21

THE UKRAINIAN FOOTBALL ROUND UP:
The UPL reverted to a slightly more subdued reality last week with some low scoring results and games low on chances.  
Desna started the weekend off as they hosted Dynamo Kyiv in the early Saturday kick off aimed at giving Dynamo maximum preparation time for their Europa League tie the following Thursday. Desna did not make things easy for the visiting side, with a few tough tackles flying in throughout the game. 
Kedziora opened the scoring Dynamo before winter signing Fran Sol went off with a serious looking shoulder injury. It has since been confirmed that he has had surgery and will be out for up to 2 months. Buyalskyi grabbed Dynamo’s second before Kartushov set up a nervy last 10 mins in the chilly North Ukrainian weather. Dynamo remain 7 points behind Shakhtar.
Dynamo then travelled to London to face Chelsea in their Europa League Round of 16 first leg tie. Dynamo succumbed to a 3-0 defeat which all but settles the fact that they’ll be exiting the competition after next week’s home tie. Dynamo just weren’t able to carve anything out in the final third, with Chelsea’s physicality preventing them from playing any kind of positive football. 
However, Mykola Shaparenko did show real promise on a bleak night for the Kyiv club. Had it not been for his teammate Denys Boyko between the sticks Dynamo may have lost by even more! Regardless, the Dynamo boys will have to put this result to one side with the Kyiv Derby coming up on Sunday before a sell out crowd welcomes them at the Olympiyskiy in the home leg v Chelsea in a week’s time!
Shakhtar travelled to Odesa to face lowly Chornomorets in a game that many expected to be a walkover. However, come full time all that separated the two sides was a Marlos penalty that he ended up putting away this time. With a seven-point lead maintained over Dynamo, Shakhtar mathematically one the first ‘cycle’ of the UPL with just two games left before the ‘Split’. They can continue to grind out results like this as long as they keep winning. It will be the games against Dynamo where they’ll need to turn on the style.
Arsenal Kyiv pulled off a shock as they beat Olimpik Donetsk in an ‘away’ game played at their ‘home’ stadium. A Vakulenko penalty was enough to keep Arsenal’s very slim chances of staying up alive. Olimpik Donetsk really haven’t got going this season, Shevchuk’s first foray into management not going as well as some had hoped.
Zorya were the biggest winners of Matchday 20, with a 3-0 thumping of Championship group challengers Vorskla Poltava. However, the central Ukrainian club bowed out for the second consecutive week without a whimper. Vorskla remain in the top group spot but are now at serious risk of falling into the Relegation group. With Desna coming to the Oleksiy Butkovsky Stadium this weekend, it really is a cup final in terms of salvaging Vorskla’s season. From finishing third in last year’s campaign to battling it out for the ‘best of the rest’ award will be some downfall.
Oleksandriya continued their slow start to 2019 with a home draw against Mariupol. However with that point, they mathematically guaranteed themselves a spot in the Championship group and now stand a real chance of gaining a place in the Europa League. On the other hand, Mariupol have moved up to fifth in the league, leapfrogging Vorskla by a point and now will be hoping to make sure they get another shot at the Europa League themselves after falling short in the qualifying rounds earlier this season. However, with just two points separating eighth placed FC Lviv and Mariupol in fifth it really is all to play for in these final two first ‘cycle’ of fixtures.
Finally, Matchday 20 concluded with the eagerly anticipated Lviv Derby and boy did it disappoint. The main action of the game occurred off the pitch and in the Karpaty Ultra’s stand. An outstanding fire display and choreo was the most impressive thing in a match where there were limited chances and the sides were separated by an own goal from Mehmeric. Karpaty Lviv, who beat Vorskla 4-0 in the previous round failed to show anything similar in quality and were thus beaten 1-0 to the displeasure of the Karpaty Ultras, whose large banner read ‘Only one club in Lviv’, to the ‘frauds’. Only in the UPL eh!
PREDICTOR TIME

A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
SATURDAY


Mariupol v Chornomorets Odesa
Todos’ prediction: The Seagulls face the Sailors in this must win game for the home side. Mariupol are in pole position to solidify 5thspot in the first cycle of the league with a win against second bottom Chornomorets. The Odesa side will also be wanting to maintain the distance between themselves and Arsenal Kyiv at the bottom of the league. 
Both of these sides are largely unpredictable with form usually going out of the window and inconsistent performances playing out on the pitch. With Mariupol having more to immediately play for, they should edge the visiting side but are likely to concede. 2-1
RESULT: 0-0
Vorskla Poltava v Desna Chernihiv
Todos’ prediction:A woeful start to 2019 could get worse for Vorskla if they don’t decide to buck up against their closest league rivals Desna. A must win for both teams should provide a physical and exciting game, with the teams currently at loggerheads in the table with matching points. 
Vorskla are the only side in the top 10 leagues in Europe who have yet to draw a game this season and going off form this looks set to continue. No goal scoring threat is their biggest problem alongside the fact that their once resolute defence has been on the wane since the turn of the year. 
Desna have goals in them across the pitch and will be looking to continue their impressive debut season in the UPL with a run in the Championship Group. Vorskla to slip up. 0-1
RESULT: 0-0
FC Lviv v Zorya Luhansk
Todos’ prediction: Zorya decided to put on a performance last week against Vorskla after being embarrassed by Dynamo in the first matchday of the year. They have goals in them and it seems that the performance against the Kyiv club can be put behind them. 

FC Lviv host the Luhansk side fresh from their derby day win against Karpaty. Whilst there wasn’t too much worthy of note from that game, Karpaty have got Bruno Duarte back in the side. He’ll be wanting to restart the goal scoring exploits that propelled him up the leaderboards in the early part of the season. 
With Lviv wanting to gain a place in the Championship group and only 2 points off the pace, they will certainly give this game a go. However, Zorya aren’t pushovers and will likely prevent all three points from staying at the Stadion Ukraina.  1-1
RESULT: 0-0
SUNDAY
Dynamo Kyiv v Arsenal Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: It’s the Game of the Weekend. The Kyiv Derby! Dynamo host city rivals Arsenal in what caps off an ‘English’ week for the Capital side. In what was a disappointing performance in midweek against Chelsea, Dynamo will want to put that behind them and regain some confidence ahead of the return leg next week. 
With Rusyn likely to lead the attack again, it will be vital for him to get on the scoresheet and try to build up some goal-scoring form as he is likely to deputize whilst Fran Sol is out injured. Arsenal Kyiv may have signed a few interesting loanees during the winter but it is unlikely that they will trouble Dynamo in any real sense. Should be straightforward for the home club.  3-0
RESULT: 4-0: HARMASH (28′ & 39′) SIDCLEY (37′) TSYHANKOV (45+1′)
Shakhtar Donetsk v Karpaty Lviv
Todos’ prediction:Shakhtar host Karpaty as they aim to continue their charge to the title. The reverse fixture ended in a 6-1 defeat for Karpaty Lviv in a game where little other than Maryan Shved stood out for the Green and Whites. Shakhtar have so far this year edged out games without seriously stepping up their game, knowing they can still win games when playing at 70%. 

After their defeat in the Lviv Derby, Karpaty secured themselves a spot in the Relegation group for the rest of the season and as such are likely to not put up much of a fight during this match. Would be good to see Shved put on a promising performance again but it’s likely that once more Shakhtar will on another level. Not a battering again but a comfortable victory for the Miners. 2-0
RESULT: 5-0: KOVALENKO (6′ & 64′) MATVIENKO (35′) MAYCON (44′) TAISON (79′)
Oleksandriya v Olimpik Donetsk 
Todos’ prediction: It’s another home tie for Oleksandriya and this time they face an out of form Olimpik. Whilst Oleksandriya themselves have have not really got into gear yet this year, Olimpik don’t seem to look like a side capable of causing any serious concerns to the currently third placed club. Goals have seemed to dry up for Olimpik whilst their defence has not been as solid as it has been in recent seasons. Losing a few key players in January at the back seems to have affected the team’s spine. 

Oleksandriya seem to be just warming up, they salvaged a point last week against Mariupol and will be looking to get their first win of the year to keep the distance between themselves and Zorya in fourth place. Kulach has yet to play for his new side and he should bring some goals once he does get involved but as for now, Oleksandriya will be sturdy at the back and are likely to win this by the odd goal. 1-0
RESULT: 1-1: KOVALETS (69′) / DIEYE (88′)
MATCHDAY 21 FINAL SCORE: 20
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PREDICTOR LEADERBOARD 
Total scores after week 19
Todos 1000
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P21
W14
D2  L5

THE LVIV DERBY: UPL MATCHDAY 20 PREDICTOR 2018/19

THE LVIV DERBY: MATCHDAY 20
THE UKRAINIAN FOOTBALL ROUND UP:
The UPL returned last weekend with a bang! We had goals galore across the six fixtures that were scattered over the weekend and into Monday. 
Mariupol kicked off the second half of the 2018/19 Ukrainian top flight season, coming from behind against fellow Donbas side (now in exile) Olimpik Donetsk. In what was an initially frosty game in both temperature and action, Olimpik took the lead through Pasich in the first half. 
Fortunately for the home fans, Mariupol decided to turn up just before the break and draw it level through a penalty from Pikhalyonok. Come the second half, it was another relatively drab affair, however, Boryachuk, who was linked with a European move during the winter break, scored the Mariupol’s second penalty and sealed the first UPL victory of 2019 for the coastal side.
Next up were Desna, who alongside Mariupol and a good few other teams are still challenging for a place in the ‘Championship Group’ which cuts off in three fixtures time. Whilst the first UPL match of the year was a relatively groggy affair Chernihiv’s game with Arsenal featured two deciding moments right at the start and at the very end of the game. Denys Favorov scored one of the fastest ever UPL goals to get the ball rolling for Desna, before his brother Artem came off the bench to score in added time to secure all three points for the travelling side.
FC Lviv were yet another side, chasing one of the top six spots, to resume their campaign. However, without Lucas Taylor and top scorer Bruno Duarte, they rarely tested their opponents, second bottom Chornomorets’, goal. Lviv’s ‘second’ club went on to lose the game and saw their top half finish seemingly fade away as their nearest rivals all picked up three points.
Karpaty Lviv looked to have no hope of even attempting to reach the ‘top six’ when they kicked off against Vorskla in Poltava on Sunday evening. They were ten points off the pace. However, after a terrific debut win for new Lions coach, Fabri and a rousing hat-trick performance from Celtic loanee Maryan Shved, the Lviv side have ensured they still have a slight hope of reaching the coveted sixth spot for another week at least. 
The Lviv sides meet THIS weekend in what will be a fiery derby at Stadion Ukraina. Only three points separate the two sidesin the table and both will be desperate to win not only to claim the city of Lviv as their own until the next fixture but also with added impetus on needing to maintain their slim chances of a Championship place. Karpaty go into the game in the better form of the two sides and the second top scorer in the league. 

Oleh Smaliychuk (Bald guy in middle) singing with Karpaty Ultras
After a dire 0-0 draw earlier in the season, this fixture needs to live up to ante that the Karpaty Ultras have been building up all week. The hostility from the Green Whites has even led to the resignation of vice chairman Oleh Smaliychuk after he was filmed topless in a bar with a load of Karpaty fans singing offensive chants about FC Lviv. We’ve got a feeling that it won’t be the last we see of him at Karpaty though as the club has a habit of reinstating and resigning staff from time to time. 
With Karpaty playing Shakhtar next week, the odds are against them when it comes to making the top six spots; however, a win this weekend will mean that a glimpse will still exist so it’s a must need win for both the club and the supporters especially with the derby atmosphere that the fixture will bring!
The top four finished off last week’s action with a Monday double header. Dynamo, buoyed by their Europa League win v Olympiacos and their next round draw against Chelsea, didn’t hold back. They demolished Zorya, who were relatively tepid throughout and were just unable to carve out any worthwhile opportunities against a now seemingly gelled and acclimatised Dynamo back line and keeper. Shaparenko and Verbic shone with two goals each. Verbic’s first was Messi-esque, shrugging off a few defenders, whilst dribbling his way from the half way by line into the box and unleashing a curling finish past the keeper. 

Handshake and Dab (Shaparenko (L) & Verbic (R)
However, Shaparenko and Verbic’s (Lacazette and Auba) handshake followed by a Pogba dab celebration was a difficult watch. Fran Sol also got on the scoresheet with an instinctive header after a solid performance of holding up the ball and creating greater space and opportunities for his midfield and wide playing team mates.
Shakhtar managed to keep Oleksandriya at bay, and maintain their lead at the top thanks to goals from Marlos and Moraes. An equisite outside of the foot cross from Marlos was met by Moraes’ head and placed into the empty net in what was the highlight of the match. Israeli youngster Solomon, got his first UPL appearance for his new side and looked a tricky player when he came on. One moment of respite did come for Oleksandriya when Yuri Pankiv saved a Marlos penalty and condemned some minus points on our fantasy football team.

PREDICTOR TIME

A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.

SATURDAY


Desna Chernihiv v Dynamo Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: Dynamo head to Chernihiv in high spirits. They haven’t really been free scoring at all this season but their last two UPL fixtures seem to show that the side is turning a corner. It’s no easy feat to put five past Zorya but they have been poor this season. 
Desna on the other hand seem to be overachieving. As it stands they are in the Championship group spots and not too far off Zorya either. Their defence is fairly astute and the Kyiv side will need to watch out for the goal scoring exploits of Denys Favorov from full back. 
However, with one eye on Chelsea in midweek, Dynamo will likely want to finish this nip this game in the bud nice and early. Should be relatively straightforward going on their recent performances. Desna won’t be able to cope. 0-3
RESULT: KARTUSHOV (83′) / KEDZIORA (25′), BUYALSKYI (69′)


Chornomorets Odesa v Shakhtar Donetsk
Todos’ prediction:Shakhtar only have eyes for the domestic titles. No European distractions mean that they should be dispatching lowly sides such as Chornomorets with ease. Marlos looks to be back to his best and this game looks guaranteed when it comes to goals. Chornomorets may have won surprisingly last week but the gulf in class will be just too much for them. Simple three points for the visitors . 0-4
RESULT: 0-1: MARLOS (76′)
SUNDAY

Zorya Luhansk v Vorskla Poltava
Todos’ prediction: Two seriously underperforming sides meet, hoping to secure their Championship group fates for the rest of the season. However, both have been encountering problems in the goal scoring end. 
Both sides’ defences are more than capable of shutting UPL opponents out even after last week’s hidings but where they really lack is a natural born free scoring forward. Vorskla haven’t replaced Kulach adequately and Budkivskyi didn’t show too much against Dynamo so it’s going to be a tight game. Low scoring but Zorya will have just enough to rally themselves back to winning ways. More misery for Vorskla as they risk falling into the relegation group. 1-0
RESULT: 3-0: SILAS (45+1), HROMOV (62′), KARAVAYEV (77′)

Olimpik Donetsk v Arsenal Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: This game is certainly the least blockbuster of all the fixtures this weekend. Olimpik haven’t been the most inspiring under Shvechuk’s management but are relatively shrewd at the back. Balashov and Dehtaryov need to get back amongst the goals and rediscover some form as they’ve failed deliver for a while now despite promising starts to the campaign. 

Arsenal remain rock bottom. However, with some signings coming in this week, including Kalitvinstev and the loaning in of highly rated Shakhtar talent, Mudryk, it’s not too late or out of reach to catch Chornomorets yet in 11th. A goal a piece in this one. 1-1
RESULT: 0-1: VAKULENKO (11′)

Oleksandriya v Mariupol
Todos’ prediction: Oleksandriya remain comfortably in third as the teams below them scrap amongst themselves. Despite harbouring a healthy lead over their rivals, this needs extending! Mariupol really are an unpredictable side, the ultimate yo-yo when it comes to consistency. Unfortunately, they face Oleksandriya at the fortress that is the Nika. 

Do not see too many goals being shipped in this one and a slender victory will see Oleksandriya get their 2019 off to a positive start after last week’s loss to Shakhtar. 1-0
RESULT: 1-1: BANADA (90+1′) / ZUBKOV (14′)
Karpaty Lviv v FC Lviv 
Todos’ prediction: This is the BIG ONE! Lviv hosts the second most anticipated derby in the league after the El Clasichne! Karpaty who will be on cloud nine after last week’s assault on Vorskla, will want to keep their narrow but still possible potential for reaching the top six alive. Added impetus remains as they face their, ‘fake club’ and ‘no fans’ as the Ultras call them, city rivals FC Lviv. 

FC Lviv remain without their two best Brazilians whilst Karpaty are ready to utilize Shved as well as the Estonian League top scorer Debelko in a forward line. After a goalless draw in the reverse fixture back in 2018, the least the players can do is reward their city with some goals. Karpaty are on a positive turn and transition. Momentum is in their favour. 3-1
RESULT: 0-1: MEHMERIC OG (35′)
MATCHDAY 20 FINAL SCORE: TBC
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PREDICTOR LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 19
Todos
980
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P20
W13
D2  L5

THE UPL REAWAKENS: MATCHDAY 19 2018/19

THE UPL REAWAKENS: MATCHDAY 19
POST WINTER BREAK PREVIEW:
Shakhtar Donetsk
POSTION: 1st
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 1st
(Europa League: 1-1 / 1-4: (6-3) aggregate LOSS vs Eintracht in R32)
Remainder of the season thoughts:
Tumbling out of the Europa League before the UPL had even resumed will have been extremely disappointing for Shakhtar. Even more so having to see Dynamo still in it. However, with their Kyivan rivals now having a distraction for the next few weeks at least, Shakhtar can already think about lifting another UPL title. Seven points clear at the start of the 2019 part of the season already relieves some of the pressure on the side. 
Consistent starters in the campaign’s first half; Rakitskyi and Danchenko have left for the country of the Aggressor. Promising young Israeli Manor Solomon has come in to add to Shakhtar’s abundance in attack with Valeriy Bondarenko, a stalwart at the back for Oleksandriya until December, moving to the Miners to replace ‘he who does not sing the anthem.’ It looks to be a straightforward end to the season for Shakhtar, with showdowns against Dynamo being key to whether they remain at the top of the pile or not in both the league and cup!
Transfers In: 
Manor Solomon – Macabbi Petah Tikva  – £5.4m
Marcos Antonio – Estoril – £3.15m
Valeriy Bondarenko – Oleksandriya – £540k
Transfers Out:
Yaroslav Rakitskyi – Zenit – £9m
Pylyp Budkivskyi – Zorya Luhansk – Free
Serhiy Hryn – Velje BK – Free
Mykyta Shevchenko – Zorya Luhansk – Loan
Oleh Danchenko – Enisey  – Loan
Dynamo Kyiv
POSTION: 2nd 
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 2nd
(Europa League: 2-2 / 1-0: (3-2) aggregate WIN vs Olympiacos in R32)
Remainder of the season thoughts:
Before the UPL closed for 2018, Dynamo had got themselves into a decent run of form, culminating in a 4-0 hammering of Karpaty Lviv. They return to action on the back off a scintillating defensive display against Olympaicos in front of a close to 50,000 strong crowd at the Olympiyskyi! Dynamo’s newest recruit, Fran Sol, got off the mark in that game and he looks like he has serious hunger and determination to get into goal scoring opportunities and the ability to get shrewd poacher like goals. Tsyhankov and Verbic can be relieved of the overwhelming burden of playmakers and goal scorers in the side, now they have proper forward to link up with. Where this leads the likes of Supriaha, who joined in the summer for a rumoured 7 million or so is unclear. 
It does look like Artem Besiedin’s time at the club is numbered, with Nazariy Rusyn being the main back up striker to Sol, with Artem once again ruled out for a substantial period of time with another injury. Dynamo are certainly not favoured to win the league this year but with some a few fixtures against Shakhtar to play, anything can happen. However, until they get knocked out of the Europa, it is presumed that will be their primary focus. Chelsea are up next, and with the London club looking vulnerable, Dynamo has every chance to take their own seat in the competition’s Quarter finals!
Transfers In: 
Fran Sol – Willem II – £3.15m
Transfers Out:
Mykola Morozyuk – Rizespor – Loan
Nikita Korzun – Al Fateh – Loan
Zurab Ochihava – SK Dnipro-1 – Loan
Aleksandr Pantic – Cadiz – Loan
Vladyslav Kalitvintsev – Free Agent
Oleksandriya
POSTION: 3rd
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 6th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Oleksandriya were the surprise package of 2018 and comfortably sit in 3rd place ahead of the 2019 restart. Dogged defensive displays and the ability to edge games out by one or two goals has been the key mantra for Volodymyr Sharan’s side. Over the winter break, they lost their best central defender in Valeriy Bondarenko, who left for top club Shakhtar. The question will be whether the defence can stay as tight and disciplined now he has left the back line. Oleksandriya’s recruitment over the winter window was shrewd, bringing in three experienced UPL players. 

They managed to swipe Vladyslav Kulach off of league rivals, Vorskla, who returned to parent club Shakhtar hoping for a move to Europe but ended up settling for Oleksandriya instead. Denys Dedechko, returns from the Aggressor’s country but he will be a safe bet to strengthen the midfield, whilst Valeriy Luchkevych also returns to Ukraine after a difficult time in Belgium with Liege. 

With an 8 point lead over 4th placed Zorya, if Oleksandriya can hold them off for the remainder of the season, they will be rewarded with a debut Europa League group stage spot, which is likely to be the main goal for this side. The Ukrainian Leicester marches on!

Transfers In: 
Denys Dedechko – SKA Khabarovsk – Free
Vladyslav Kulach – Shakhtar Donetsk – Loan
Valeriy Luchkevych – S. Liege – Loan
Transfers Out:
Valeriy Bondarenko – Shakhtar Donetsk – £540k
Zorya Luhansk
POSTION: 4th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 3rd
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Despite currently sitting in fourth, Vitaliy Vernydub will be seriously disappointed with his side’s season so far. The Luhansk side have been largely inconsistent this season, being unable to string a successful run of positive results together. They even lost to Arsenal Kyiv at one stage. 

During the transfer window, some ever present Zorya players have left for new challenges; Kharatin, Svatok and summer signing Rafael Ratao are now scattered across Europe. Zorya have brought in some replacements. Namely Pylyp Budkivskyi returns to the club after his spell in France ended. Can the Ukraine U21 all time top scorer re-establish himself again in the UPL? Maksym Bilyi and Ihor Chaykovskyi also return. 

This side looks to have enough over closest rivals Vorskla, but consistency will be key in whether they hold them off and start to ramp the pressure on Oleksandriya or not.
Transfers In: 
Nemanja Ivanovic – Sindjelic Bg – Free
Ihor Chaykovskyi – Anzhi – Free
Pylyp Budkivskyi – Shakhtar Donetsk – Free
Maksym Bilyi – Mariupol – Free
Mykyta Shevchenko – Shakhtar Donetsk – Free
Transfers Out:
Ihor Kharatin – Ferencvaros – £540k
Oleksandr Svatok – Hajduk Split – £338k
Rafael Ratao – Slovan Bratislava – Loan
Vasyl Pryima – Soligorsk – Free
Vorskla Poltava
POSTION: 5th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 5th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Vorskla have let go of three forwards during the window and this could end up being detrimental to the club’s chances of a second consecutive season in the Europa League. Rumours have been circulating regarding the club not being allowed to compete in the UPL next season due to debts, so this second half of the season could well be a last hurrah for a well loved and historic UPL club. 

Some forward options have been brought in, but both are largely unknowns in Petrovic and Sehic. Fortunately, Vorskla’s defensive line seems to have remained intact and as a result, they still be a difficult side to score against. However, the real issue will be who will be getting the goals for this side with strikers at a premium and Kolomoyets seriously out of form.
Transfers In: 
Todor Petrovic – Vozdovac – Free
Edin Sehic – Hajduk Split – Free
Transfers Out:
Mykhailo Serhiychuk – Desna – Free
Vladyslav Kulach – Shakhtar Donetsk – End of Loan
Gegam Kadimyan – Free Agent
Desna Chernihiv
POSTION: 6th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 9th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Desna have impressed on occasion this season and currently sit in the final ‘Championship’ group spot in their debut UPL season. However, they are only in there on goal difference. Luckily they have reinforced their squad with a few signings during the hiatus. The Ukrainian Pirlo, Andriy Bohdanov returns from a spell in Poland, whilst Mykhailo Serhiychuk, who was scoring for fun for Veres a while ago, joins from Vorskla, where the majority of his appearances were from the bench. Desna have so far managed to keep a hold of Denys Bezborodko, who had a potential move to Turkey fall through. A consistent spine remains and they will be aiming to be one step ahead of their rivals; Mariupol and FC Lviv in the final 4 games before the league splits in two!

Transfers In: 
Mykhailo Serhiychuk – Vorskla – Free
Mykhailo Kozak – Rukh Vinnyky – Free
Dmytro Nemchainov – Krilya Sovetov – Free 
Andriy Bohdanov – Arka Gdynia – Free
Temur Partsvania – Free Agent
Transfers Out:
Anton Bratkov – Macabbi Petah Tikvah – Free
Maksym Banasevych – Kolos Kovalivka – Loan
Vitaliy Yermakov – Avanhard Kramatorsk – Loan
Luka Koberidze – Free Agent
Oleksandr Kovpak – Free Agent
Mariupol
POSTION: 7th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 7th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

A low activity window doesn’t change much for Mariupol. They will be looking to push into the ‘Championship’ group ahead of Desna over the next four fixtures. Mariupol have been another inconsistent side this season but have still been able to rank in at a decent place in the table. Young Karpaty Lviv prodigy, Danylo Sikan has joined on loan from his new parent club, Shakhtar and hopefully we’ll be able to see this youngster get some game time in the UPL. One that looks like a certainty is that if Mariupol scrape into the top group, it’s likely they will be the whipping boys.
Transfers In: 
Danylo Sikan – Shakhtar Donetsk – Loan
Transfers Out:
Maksym Bilyi – Zorya Luhansk – Free
FC Lviv
POSTION: 8th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 8th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

FC Lviv have been at it again in the window, recruiting a few more Brazilians to the side. They will soon be garnering the nickname of the  Shakhtar of the West! FC Lviv have had some great results so far this season and will be eager to push themselves into the Championship group and aim for those Europa League qualifying round spots. 

Lviv are just a point behind Mariupol and Desna so it really is all to play for. One thing this side has over the other two rivals is that they have a serious goal machine in that of Bruno Duarte. With some of these new Brazilian signings also keen to show what their own talents are, it will be exciting to watch this ‘plastic club’ play out for the remainder of the season!
Transfers In: 
Lipe Veloso – FC Tokyo – Free
Pedro Vitor- Aris Saloniki – Free
Kaue – Palmeiras B – Loan
Oleksandr Nasonov – Free Agent
China – Free Agent
Dmytro Fatiyiv – Free Agent
Transfers Out:
Serhiy Petrov – Rukh Vinnyky – Free
Oleksandr Holikov – Chornomorets – Free
Yuriy Putrash – FK Minaj – Free
Artur Zapadnia – Volyn Lutsk – Free
Olimpik Donetsk
POSTION: 9th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 10th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Olimpik are also not too far off the pace from the 6th place chasing pack. However, with them needing four points to make in four games, it looks like they’ll need to rely on the sides around them to slip up. Vyacheslav Shevchuk lost one of this coaching staff over the winter, with Ruslan Rotan taking up Ukraine U21 duties. He has also been rocked with a few players leaving the club who have been pivotal in the club’s performances of the past few seasons. 

Anton Kravchenko leaves again as does Serhiy Vakulenko, whose loan ended and has since joined up with Arsenal Kyiv. Defensively, Olimpik look quite weak, when this was usually their main position of strength. Shevchuk will need to pull out a few coaching masterclasses in the meantime. It’s looking likely that Olimpik will remain in the ‘Relegation’ group and play out to a mediocre end to the season, maybe challenging for the top spot ‘best of the rest’ trophy!
Transfers In: 
Matar Dieye – Este – Free
Roman Vantukh – Dynamo Kyiv 2 – Loan
Transfers Out:
Anton Kravchenko – Kisvarda – Free
Yevhen Zubeyko – Free Agent
Dmytro Bilonoh – Zirka Kropivnitsky – End of Loan
Serhiy Vakulenko – Shakhtar – End of Loan
Dmytro Nemchainov – Krilya Sovetov – End of Loan
Karpaty Lviv
POSTION: 10th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 4th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

The summer will be the main crisis point for Karpaty when Maryan Shved leaves for Celtic. However, it seems that for now, they are more than likely to stay up this season with the player options new manager, Fabri has at his disposal. A lot of loanees have come in during this window, Martin Hongla and Yoda will be two to look out for. However, Karpaty don’t seem to have replaced Jorge Carrascal, who left for River Plate and Orest Lebedenko who moved to Spain’s CD Lugo. 

Creativity may be lacking during this half of the season, bar the obvious contributions of Maryan Shved. Karpaty look to be at the start of a transition period. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t cause a return to the serious instability that they have encountered over the past few seasons. The real question will be whether Fabri will b able to hold onto his job until the end of the season, with Karpaty being well known for changing managers like the weather!
Transfers In: 
Karim Yoda – Reus Deportiu – Free
Maryan Shved – Celtic – Loan
Martin Hongla – Granada – Loan
Roman Debelko – FCI Levadia – End of Loan
Nika Sandokhadze – RFS – End of Loan
Transfers Out:
Maryan Shved – Celtic – £1.8m
Orest Lebedenko – CD Lugo £630k
Jorge Carrascal – River Plate – Loan
Cristian Erbes – Nacional – Free
Oleh Borodai – Gornik Leczna – Free
Oleh Holodyuk – Haladas – Free
Mykyta Shevchenko – Shakhtar Donetsk – End of Loan
Roman Pidkivka – Free Agent
Chornomorets Odesa
POSTION: 11th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 12th
Remainder of the season thoughts:

Chornomorets were our pre season tip for relegation. However, whilst they’re not bottom, their performances leave a lot to be desired. They currently sit 4 points above rock bottom Arsenal and 5 points behind Karpaty. Whilst they do have it in them to pull off a rare positive performance, it looks like their season will be determined with how they perform in the ‘Relegation’ group stage of the league in a few game weeks time. They have had a lot of players leave over the winter, with some Ukrainian journeymen replacing them. Far from an exciting side, if they get relegated it won’t be a great loss to the league (from a footballing side) at this current moment in time. However, it will be catastrophic for the city of Odesa, having no sides at Ukraine’s top football table. The real shame is the club’s legacy which has dwindled ever since Roman Hryhorchuk left the club. The Europa League knockout rounds in 2014 seems like a generation ago now, looking at the current state of the club. 
Transfers In: 
Volodymyr Tanchyk – Stomil Olsztyn – Free
Oleksandr Holikov – FC Lviv – Free
Vasiliy Pavlov – Ventspils – Free
Volodymyr Arzhanov – Kaysar – Free
Vitaliy Hoshkoderia – Okzhetpes – Free
Yevhen Morozenko – Free Agent
Transfers Out:
Robert Mutzers – Kozakken Boys – Free
Yuriy Romaniuk – SK Dnipro-1 – Free
Yevhen Smirnov – Gomel – Free
Vladyslav Khomutov – Zlate Moravce  – Free
Anatoliy Didenko – Free Agent
Artur Karnoza – Free Agent
Dmytro Bezruk – Free Agent
Arsenal Kyiv
POSTION: 12th
OUR PRE SEASON PREDICTION: 11th
Remainder of the season thoughts:
After the winter break began, Vyacheslav Hrozny left his position as Arsenal Kyiv manager, with the side rock bottom of the UPL. It looks to be more of the same for the ‘other’ Kyiv club in this second half of the season with Ihor Leonov now in charge. Some serious last minute acquisitions have occurred in the window, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to keep this sunken ship from sinking. 
Serhiy Vakulenko, one of Olimpik Donetsk’s star men over the past couple seasons and Vyacheslav Tankovskiy have come in from Shakhtar but even they don’t particularly inspire a great escape narrative. It seems a return to the Persha Liha is now an inevitability even though they have so many games to go.
Transfers In: 
Roman Pidkivka – Free Agent
Dmytro Balshay – Free Agent
Serhiy Vakulenko – Shakhtar Donetsk – Loan
Maksym Zhychykov – Free Agent
Vyacheslav Tankovskiy – Shakhtar Donetsk – Loan
Dzhaba Lipartia – Free Agent
Gegam Kadimyan – Free Agent
Oleksandr Kovpak – Free Agent
Transfers Out:
Maksym Feshchuk – Vitebsk – Free
Serge Akakpo – Elazigspor
Leonid Akulinin – Free Agent
Dmytro Zozulya – Free
Oleksandr Nasonov – Free Agent
Serhiy Hryn – Shakhtar Donetsk – End of Loan
PREDICTOR TIME


A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.

SATURDAY


Mariupol v Olimpik Donetsk
Todos’ prediction:A classic Donbass derby kicks off the end of the UPL’s winter hiatus this weekend. Mariupol and Olimpik went into the winter straddling mid table spots. It currently looks like a three horse race to secure the final ‘Championship’ group spot with 4 games to go and Mariupol are right in contention. Despite the warm weather friendlies, it’s likely this will be a groggy affair, with both clubs making the return to competitive football. Score draw. 1-1
RESULT: 2-1: PIKHALYONOK (P) (45+1′), BORYACHUK (P) (48′) / PASICH (25′)

FC Lviv v Chornomorets Odesa
Todos’ prediction: FC Lviv are another club battling it out for that coveted final Championship group slot. They picked up some historic results during 2018, beating Dynamo Kyiv away and drawing with Shakhtar in Kharkiv and will be looking to cap of a successful first season back in the UPL by playing against the big guns in the final part of the season. The Brazilians in the side are sure to help with this. Chornomorets are unpredictable but it seems that FC Lviv has a far superior squad. 2-0
RESULT: 0-1: HOSHKODERYA (32′)
SUNDAY

Arsenal Kyiv v Desna Chernihiv
Todos’ prediction:The current side holding onto the 6thplace Championship group spot is Desna. Alongside fellow ‘promoted’ side FC Lviv they’ve been quite impressive this season. However, only goal difference separates themselves and Mariupol in 7th. As a result it will be vital for them to get some points on the board against the league’s whipping boys. Desna have been able to hold onto star striker, Bezborodko, in the winter window so far and will be looking to maintain their slender lead against Mariupol in the table. Arsenal Kyiv look defeated before they even hit the pitch.  0-2
RESULT: 0-2: D.FAVOROV (1′), A.FAVOROV (P) (90+1′)
Vorskla Poltava v Karpaty Lviv
Todos’ prediction: It was a busy transfer window for both clubs over the winter break and one that could prove to be detrimental in how the seasons end. Vorskla lost their main goal scoring threat, Vladyslav Kulach, who was recalled by Shakhtar and then loaned out to league rivals, Oleksandriya. 
Karpaty lost Orest Lebedenko and Jorge Carasscal, two key men. It’s difficult to predict this one as Karpaty have a new manager at the helm in Spaniard, Fabri, but with Shved still in the side until the summer, they will always have that extra quality to score a goal from somewhere. Whereas, Vorskla still look like a solid outfit but now have even less scoring outlets.  0-1
RESULT: 0-4: DI FRANCO (25′), SHVED (51′, 55′, 90+1′) 
MONDAY

Dynamo Kyiv v Zorya Luhansk
Todos’ prediction: Dynamo go into this Monday game with serious optimism after beating Olympiacos in the Europa League. Fran Sol will be hungry to hit the ground running in the UPL after getting his debut goal against the Greek side. Dynamo’s defence looks seriously assured at the moment and it will be in Khatskevich’s side to keep up the pace with Shakhtar until the very end. Zorya have lost a couple of important players from the spine of their team in Kharatin, Svatok and Rafael Ratao leaving over the break. Dynamo will be just too strong in this one! 3-0
RESULT: 5-0: SHAPARENKO (34′, 45′), VERBIC (38′, 53′), SOL (73′)


Shakhtar Donetsk v Oleksandriya 
Todos’ prediction:Shakhtar return to domestic action after a seriously disappointing cameo run in the Europa League. Now with Europe out of the agenda, the league and cup can be given 100% attention. With a 7-point lead at the top, The Miners will be wanting to make sure they have that gap between themselves and Dynamo to relieve pressure over this second part of the campaign. Oleksandriya, this season’s surprise package and the Zorya Londonsk Team of the Year 2018, will just not have enough goals to get past the Donetsk outfit. It won’t be easy for Shakhtar but they’ll get the three points in the end. 2-0
RESULT: 2-0: MARLOS (14′), MORAES (35′)
MATCHDAY 19 FINAL SCORE: 120!
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PREDICTOR LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 19
Todos
950
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P19
W12
D2  L5

The Zorya Londonsk End Of Year Awards 2018

ZORYA LONDONSK 

END OF SEASON AWARDS 2018

What a year it’s been for Ukrainian football! There have been so many stunning performances in both the collective and individual spheres for us to enjoy! Below are our the Zorya Londonsk 2018 awards of recognition for the those who we believe produced consistent and high calibre performances throughout 2018!


Our 2018 National Team Player of the Year is RUSLAN MALINOVSKYI ! With usual talisman Yarmolenko having been injured for most of Ukraine’s games this year, it had been required that somebody else stepped into his boots! Malinovskyi has been that Player! He has established himself as Ukraine’s new Central midfield stalwart thanks to his stunning displays for club side KRC GENK ! 

He played in all 10 games, with only two players getting more minutes than him, and scored two goals! His first against Italy and his second, the goal that won Ukraine their first ever Nations League Group v Czech Republic! Konoplyanka ran Malinovskyi close but due to it being the breakthrough season for Ruslan he takes home the award! 


Our 2018 Player of the Year is MARLOS ! From February to December he was the UPL’s most consistent performer, getting goal after goal and assist after assist. He helped SHAKHTAR DONETSK seal the 17/18 title with relative ease and has set them on the way to do win it again in 2019 with some brazen shifts during the current season! 

He ends 2018 on 11 goals / 5 assists in the UPL! Had he not had a few spells on the sidelines with injury it could have been a whole lot more! 


Our 2018 Team of the Year is FC OLEKSANDRIYA and our 2018 Manager of the Year is VOLODYMYR SHARAN! There was no question as to who these two awards were going to after both going above and beyond expectations this year! Volodymyr Sharan has led his Oleksandriya side from the relegation group in 2017/18, where his side topped that half of the table, to challenging for 2nd place this season! 

They now sit in 3rd place over the winter break but certainly can continue to challenge Dynamo for 2nd once it resumes! Volodymyr Sharan’s team’s style of play is compact and disciplined. The side prides itself on its defensive qualities; being traditionally hard to break down; hence why they succumbed to countless 0-0s in 17/18! However, they found their shooting boots in 18/19 and whilst they don’t have a consistent goal scorer, the goals have come from across the park! 

Oleksandriya embody the spirit of Leicester City, they have no real superstars but as a unit strive to give their all for their manager and fans week in week out! Europa League awaits if they keep this up in 2019!


Finally, our 2018 Goal of the Year goes to VLADYSLAV KULACH of Vorskla Poltava! 

His stunning Cristiano-esque bicycle kick was always going to take some beating but the sheer technique and optimal connection meant it was never going to not win! A few honourable mentions must go to Maryan Shved’s wondergoal v Zorya Luhansk and Viktor Tsyhankov’s stunning free kick against Karpaty Lviv! 


HERE’S TO 2019! HAVE A HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR!



UPL MATCHDAY 18 PREDICTOR – THE UPL GOES INTO HIBERNATION

UPL MATCHDAY 18 PREDICTOR – THE UPL 
GOES INTO HIBERNATION
UPL ROUND UP
*INSERT GAME OF THRONES PUN HERE*
It’s the final matchday of 2018 with teams battling out to end the year on a high in the UPL!
Rewinding back to last week, Shakhtar hosted the Donetsk Derby in Kharkiv. A game many expected the Miners to win with ease was anything but. Shakhtar took an early lead but were unable to extend it before two set piece goals from Olimpik took them to within minutes of claiming a famous victory over their city rivals. 
Junior Moraes saved the day for Shakhtar with a last minute equaliser, who were evidently unable to match the intensity that they had exerted against Hoffenheim the week before. Is a further upset possible against their Donbas neighbours Mariupol this weekend as Shakhtar aim to preserve energy for their must win game against Lyon next week? 
Dynamo Kyiv got back to winning ways again after their shock defeat to Oleksandriya as they routinely beat Chornomorets 2-0, thanks to two penalties from Tsyhankov and Besiedin. However, the win wasn’t enough to see them return to the silver medal place, as Oleksandriya poured further misery on a sorry Vorskla’s week with a 1-0 win away maintaining their one-point lead over Dynamo.
Zorya Luhansk leapfrogged Vorskla into fourth, for the first time this season, as they took advantage of Desna playing their home game in Kyiv, as a result of logistics troubles in Chernihiv. They won the game 2-0, thanks to goals from Vernydub and Kabayev.
Elsewhere, Karpaty were up to their usual selves, capitulating against weaker opposition and getting Oleh Boychyshyn’s latest caretaker role off to a mediocre start. Ex Metalist legend, Papa Gueye scored an own goal for the Lions, and it was down to Hutsulyak to score an equalizing penalty to avoid embarrassment against Arsenal Kyiv, who sit at the foot of the table. Finally city rivals, FC Lviv were involved in an entertaining game against Mariupol, which saw a return to the league’s favourite scoreline; 2-2! FC Lviv couldn’t hold onto a lead on two occasions despite star player Bruno Duarte getting his seventh goal of the season!
Whatever happens after this weekend’s fixtures, it could well be the last games certain players play in the UPL as the chaotic expiry of contracts and the winter transfer window opens up for business in the new year. Come February, many teams could be lining with entirely different squads. Such is the magic of the Ukrainian Premier League!

EURO 2020
Last Sunday saw the EURO 2020 draw take place in Dublin. Our hopes for a home nation to feature in Ukraine’s group fell away quickly along with any too exotic away days. Regardless, Ukraine have been given a favourable group that they will be hoping to qualify from! If they really put some effort in then they even have a shot at finishing as GROUP WINNERS:
EURO 2020: GROUP B
PORTUGAL
UKRAINE
SERBIA
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
PREDICTOR TIME 

A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
FRIDAY


Mariupol v Shakhtar Donetsk
Todos’ prediction:Shakhtar will want to go into the winter break with a win after a string of unprecedented draws in the league. They will be having one eye on Wednesday’s UCL game against Lyon in Kyiv and a result have left Taison at home. Marlos returns to the fold for some match fitness and as a result Shakhtar should be able to beat their Donbas neighbours comfortably to maintain a slight distance at the top of the table. 0-3
RESULT: 0-3: STEPANENKO (62′) , MORAES (64′) , MARLOS (70′)
SATURDAY

Zorya Luhansk v Arsenal Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: Zorya moved into 4th last weekend after a solid win vs Desna and the fixture calendar has looked on them favourably in this final pre winter game. Lowly Arsenal, who did get a point against Karpaty last week, travel to Zaporyzhya with not much to lose. However, Grozny has been unable to get a fluent tune out of his side and it’s unlikely they will be able to get a grasp of this match up. 2-0
RESULT: 3-0: KARAVEYEV PEN (36′) , HROMOV (51′) , KAMENYUKA (80′)

Karpaty Lviv v Dynamo Kyiv
Todos’ prediction:Karpaty really are the most unpredictable team in the league and maybe in all of Europe. After putting in some promising performances away from home over a month ago, they were unable to capitalise on anything since with two defeats and a draw to rock bottom Arsenal… Fortunately they play Dynamo, another side prone to collapse in recent times. Karpaty won 2-0 in Kyiv back near the start of the season but for some reason it is difficult to envisage them replicating that this weekend. Dynamo will edge this… Right? 1-2
RESULT: 0 – 4: TSYHANKOV (29′,49′,90+1′) , SHAPARENKO (89′)

Chornomorets Odesa v Vorskla Poltava 
Todos’ prediction: Second bottom Chornomorets won their six pointer against Arsenal Kyiv a few weeks ago and now have some breathing space between themselves and the drop. As a result, their motivations will be relatively low whereas their opponents will be desperate to put a close to the negative events and results that have been experienced over the past couple of weeks. Vorskla need to keep up the pace for fourth and certainly have reason to want the win more. Statistically, it looks like this game won’t have too many goals but if it does it will be Vorskla who will be the benefactors. 0-1
RESULT: 0-1: CHYZHOV (4′)
SUNDAY

Olimpik Donetsk v Desna Chernihiv
Todos’ prediction:Olimpik showed some serious resilience and fight last week against the league leaders. They may have had victory snatched from their grasp at the death but positives will be taken from that performance going into this middle of the table clash. With the possibility of playing in the ‘Championship’ half of the league when it splits in March, it’s the results in games like these that matter the most. Desna will also be motivated to end 2018 on a high after the club’s historic year. However, both sides are relatively evenly matched. Both teams’ back fours’ concede regularly but not to devastating effect and have forwards who are able to find the back of the net. Goals and no clean sheets coming up! 1-1
RESULT: 1-1: PASICH (60′) / D FAVOROV (63′)

Oleksandriya v FC Lviv
Todos’ prediction: Can Oleksandriya spend all of winter above Dynamo in the table? They’ll have to win this one for any chance. Oleksandriya have been far from extraordinary this season but their collective spirit accompanied by a sturdy defence means they’re specialty is nicking results by the odd goal. Expect more of the same here. FC Lviv have been picking up some positive results as of late but the momentum that is carrying the Volodymyr Sharan’s men at the moment should be enough to see off the visitors. 1-0
RESULT: 1-2: SHENDRYK (84′) / ADAMYUK (2′,30′)
MATCHDAY 18 FINAL SCORE: 170!!!
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GUEST LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 18
Todos
830
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P18
W11
D2  L5

UPL MATCHDAY 17 PREDICTOR – EURO 2020 QUALIFYING DRAW PREVIEW


UPL MATCHDAY 17 PREDICTOR – EURO 2020 QUALIFYING DRAW PREVIEW
UPL ROUND UP
Last weekend’s round of fixtures spurred some almighty shocks across the league. Most notably, both Shakhtar and Dynamo dropped points against opposition they would traditionally beat. Shakhtar saw out a goalless draw against UPL newbies FC Lviv, with Lviv’s ‘second’ side showing the spirit of Veres Rivne from seasons’ past with dogged defending and the solid Bandura in goal frustrating Shakhtar on a bitterly cold night in Kharkiv. 
Mariupol hosted Vorskla at home before an escalation of tensions in the Azov Sea saw Vorskla’s footballing week go from bad to worse. The Poltava side suffered a surprising defeat to The Seagulls and as a result lost ground in the battle for third place. 
Jose Morais 
Karpaty hosted Desna at the Stadion Ukraina in front of a brand new LED score screen but this wasn’t enough to get them a victory as they lost 2-0, their fifth consecutive home defeat. Such a string of results meant that Karpaty and ex Barnsley boss Jose Morais, was rewarded by an approach from South Korean side and K-League-1 Champions, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Jose subsequently left his role as the Lviv side’s head coach after just 104 days in charge. Oleh Boychyshyn has taken up the caretaker role for the second time this season and he’s likely to see out the remainder of the pre winter break season. 
Elsewhere, Olimpik Donetsk claimed a point against struggling Zorya Luhansk, who have been unable to see games out that they have been leading in. A lack of a reliable goalscorer up front still persists for them. In the big relegation six pointer, Chornomorets Odesa beat Arsenal Kyiv 2-1 to ensure they have some breathing space against the league’s rock bottom club. Vyacheslav Grozny’s Kyiv tenure has not been going well to say the least.
Last week’s fixtures culminated with the Game of the Week, in which Oleksandriya hosted Dynamo Kyiv. The game was poised for a classic, with Oleksandriya sitting just two points below the Kyivans, meaning a win would mean that they replace their prestigious opponents in 2ndplace. 
The game got off to a lively start with ex Dynamo man, Tsurikov scoring a stunning volley before Verbic got the away side back in the game. However, it was down to Denys Boyko’s haphazardness, challenging for a ball on the edge of the box, that awarded Oleksandriya with a penalty. Zaporozhan, kindly obliged in taking his opportunity and converted from the spot. Oleksandriya saw out the win, to give the Central Ukraine side their first ever win over Dynamo in the club’s history! Can the Ukrainian Leicester maintain this and claim a UCL qualifying spot?
EUROPEAN ROUND UP
Ismaily celebrates after giving Shakhtar
the lead
It was a mixed bag of emotions for Ukrainian sides in Europe this week. Shakhtar travelled to Germany to face Hoffenheim, knowing this game was the make or break for staying in Europe altogether this season. Whichever side came out on top was likely to secure a Europa League place in the spring at the very least. In what turned out to be a highly contested and fast paced game, Shakhtar got off to a brilliant start. They went 2-0 up inside 15 minutes thanks to Ismaily and Taison. But as was the case in the reverse fixture in Kharkiv earlier this season, Shakhtar capitulated before the half time whistle and were pegged back to 2-2 thanks to Kramaric and Zuber. 
An end to end second half, including a second yellow red card for Adam Szalai, was most likely entertaining viewing for a neutral but it was evident that Shakhtar were getting frustrated. Fortunately, their Brazilian goal scorers from the first half, linked up in the dying minutes to ensure Shakhtar took all three points back to Ukraine with them. Captain fantastic, Taison scored the winner after some great work down the flank from Ismaily. This now sets up a winner takes all play off versus Lyon in the final group stage match. If Shakhtar win, they go through to the UCL knock out rounds, if Lyon don’t lose they’ll be the ones staying in Europe’s premier competition. 
In the Europa League, Dynamo Kyiv travelled to Astana in a match where the winner was ensured of topping the group with a game to spare. In a bitter cold Kazakhstan, the game at the Astana Arena was played with a closed roof and on artificial turf. Dynamo took the lead in the first half thanks to some great combination play between Tsyhankov and Verbic, allowing the latter to score yet again this season. However, the game was far from comfortable for Dynamo, with FC Astana totaling 22 attempts on target compared to Dynamo’s 5! If the Kyiv side want to go far into the competition next year, they’ll be needing to seriously improve, otherwise they will fall apart against stronger opposition.
Vorskla played in front of close to
empty stands in Kyiv
Finally, we come to Vorskla who were gearing up for the biggest game in their history against North London’s Arsenal. Preparation was underway from last weekend, with volunteers helping to clear the stadium of snow and covering both the pitch and seats to ensure fans and players alike were allowed to enjoy the stadium’s facilities come Thursday. However, due to Russian escalation of tensions in the Sea of Azov on Sunday, President Poroshenko proposed the introduction of Martial Law in Ukraine. Parliament ended up voting on a bill, which meant 10 Ukrainian regions were placed under the control of the Army. Poltava was NOT one of these regions. However, this did not stop UEFA from intervening and forcing the team to relocate their game to Kyiv’s Olympiyskiy. A match so deeply anticipated by a great Ukrainian city, was now to be deprived of witnessing their club’s greatest sporting fixture. 
Over 21,000 tickets had been sold for the game at the Oleksiy Butovskiy Stadium that home fans would never end up seeing. The game did take place in Kyiv in the end, with Vorskla players lining up in front of an almost empty stadium. The Arsenal side they faced boasted 13 players from the U-23 squad and a fair few of them started. The end result of 3-0 flattered Vorskla, who were woeful in the first half. The defence was all over the place and the forwards such as Kulach were just unable to do anything right. The psychological toll of the week’s events caught up with the players and it impacted the final result. #UEFAMAFIA
EURO 2020 QUALIFYING DRAW PREVIEW

BACKGROUND: 

The draw takes place in Dublin at 11am (UK time) on 2ndDecember 2018. All pots have been ranked based on UEFA Nations League finishing positions. The four group winners of League A, are in the Nations League pot, meaning their Euro 2020 qualifying groups will be capped at 5 teams. This is to ensure one matchday of fixtures will be kept free in order for the four sides to play in the Nations League Finals in Portugal next summer. Qualifying starts on 21stMarch 2019 and will conclude on 19thNovember 2019.The top two sides from each group will qualify automatically, with play offs deciding the remaining four sides in Spring 2020. 
POTS:
UEFA Nations League Pot: Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, England
Pot 1:Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Poland
Pot 2:Germany, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Wales, Czech Republic
Pot 3: Slovakia, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Serbia, Finland, Bulgaria, Israel
Pot 4: Hungary, Romania, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Georgia
Pot 5:FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Belarus, Luxembourg, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Gibraltar, Faroe Islands
Pot 6:Latvia, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Malta, San Marino
BEST CASE SCENARIO: 


BASED ON NATIONS LEAGUE RANKINGS:
POLAND
UKRAINE
ISRAEL
GEORGIA
FAROE ISLANDS
SAN MARINO
BASED ON UKRAINE’S H2H RECORD:
SWITZERLAND (W2D1L1)
UKRAINE ( x x x )
SERBIA (W5D0L0)
GEORGIA (W6D3L0)
ARMENIA (W5D3L0)
ANDORRA (W4D0L0)
WORST CASE SCENARIO:
BASED ON NATIONS LEAGUE RANKINGS:
SWITZERLAND
UKRAINE
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
FYR MACEDONIA
BASED ON UKRAINE’S H2H RECORD:
ITALY(W0D2L6)
UKRAINE ( x x x )
TURKEY (W2D3L4)
ROMANIA (W2D1L3)
BELARUS (W5D3L1)
MALTA (W0D0L1)
OUR FAVOURED SCENARIO & WHY:
ENGLAND
UKRAINE
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
GEORGIA
FAROE ISLANDS
With ZLW being based in London, it’s natural that we’d love to see another match up between England and Ukraine at Wembley. A short trip to Dublin, also wouldn’t go amiss to keep this group and Ukraine firmly in the eye of the British media! A classic 0-0 stalemate between Shevchenko’s Ukraine side and Mick McCarthy’s Ireland would be an essential ‘I was there’ event! Georgia 

THE GROUP WE GOT
(GROUP B)

PORTUGAL
UKRAINE
SERBIA
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG

Overall this group is more than satisfying for both the team and fans alike. Whilst there aren’t many exotic away days to look forward too, Portugal to start off with in March will be the litmus test to see how far Ukraine have come in the past year. It’s a group they can certainly get out of and ZLW is tipping them to top the group!
PREDICTOR TIME

A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
SATURDAY


Desna Chernihiv v Zorya Luhansk
Todos’ prediction: This game is being at the Obolon Arena in Kyiv, due to the state of the pitch at Desna’s home stadium. In front what will likely be a low turnout, the quality of football is likely to not be much better. Desna have been playing well lately, but Zorya shouldn’t be pushovers. Zorya have been ‘yo-yo-ing’ this season in terms of form and just can’t seem to close a game off. As a result, neither side is likely to pick up all three points or a clean sheet. 1-1
RESULT: 0-2: SILAS (23′) , KABAEV (80′)
Arsenal Kyiv v Karpaty Lviv
Todos’ prediction: Karpaty return to the road and will be licking their lips as this week’s opposition. Whilst their home record has been atrocious this season, they’ve turned on the quality when away. As a result, it is expected that they get Oleh Boychyshyn’s return as caretaker manager off to a winning start. Arsenal Kyiv are a gulf below the rest of the league and with Dynamo Kyiv Ultras likely to be in the crowd to support their Karpaty allies, it’s difficult to envisage anything but a Karpaty win. 0-2
RESULT: 1-1: GUEYE OG (24′) / HUTSULIAK PEN (72′)
SUNDAY
FC Lviv v Mariupol
Todos’ prediction: Bouncing from last week’s draw against Shakhtar, FC Lviv will be wanting to inflict more pain against another Donbas side. Mariupol who are so unpredictable, will be wanting to prevent that but they don’t travel very well and with such a long trip, we see FC Lviv with their resolute defence and Brazilian attackers edging this one. 1-0
RESULT: 2-2: B.DUARTE (6′) , VORONIN PEN (24′) / PIKHALONOK (22′) , VAKULA (80′)

Shakhtar Donetsk v Olimpik Donetsk 
Todos’ prediction: Back from Hoffenheim with a win, Shakhtar will be wanting to regain some league momentum after their shock shutout against FC Lviv last week. It’s the Donetsk derby, played in Kharkiv. Vyacheslav Shevchuk, faces his old side for the first time in the league so it will be a special occasion for the Olimpik boss. Olimpik can be a difficult team to score against on their day but it should be a relatively straightforward job for Shakhtar. Not a rout but comfortable nonetheless. 2-0
RESULT: 2-2: MORAES (7′ & 90+3′) / PASICH (52′) , BALASHOV (66′)
MONDAY

Vorskla Poltava v Oleksandriya 
Todos’ prediction: The first of a MONDAY double header of fixtures pits these two sides challenging for Europe. Oleksandriya are on cloud nine at the moment, having beaten Dynamo Kyiv last week whilst Vorskla will be seriously dejected after the farce that revolved around their Europa League match. Neither side has a prolific goalscorer and ultimately this result will be lie in the defensive capabilities of both teams. Lack of chances and lack of goals to ensue. 0-0
RESULT: 0-1: KOVALETS (4′)

Dynamo Kyiv v Chornomorets Odesa
Todos’ prediction: Dynamo will be keen to avenge their draw against the Odesa side earlier in the season and be looking to keep up the pace with both Oleksandriya and Shakhtar. Chornomorets is usually a side Dynamo loved to play against and it’s likely to return to that despite Chornomorets beating Arsenal Kyiv last week. The Odessites will probably take their foot off the gas, knowing they have a buffer zone between themselves and the drop thanks to that win. As a result, Dynamo are likely to cruise to a comfortable win. No Europa League hangover in sight. 3-0
RESULT: 2-0: TSYHANKOV PEN (21′) , BESIEDIN (61′)
MATCHDAY 17 FINAL SCORE: 10…
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GUEST LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 16
Todos
660
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P17
W10
D2  L5



UPL MATCHDAY 16 PREDICTOR – DESIGN AND FOOTBALL ft. Dmytro Shtrays


UPL MATCHDAY 16 PREDICTOR – DESIGN AND FOOTBALL ft. Dmytro Strays

INTERNATIONAL ROUND UP
The UPL has been away for a fortnight due to the international break. Ukraine played their final fixtures of the 2018 calendar year, going into it hoping to see it off unbeaten for the first time ever. However, Shevchenko decided to experiment in the last Nations League group game against Slovakia and the result ended up as an embarrassment. Many will say, the game was as good as a friendly with Ukraine already having topped the group. 

However, it just seemed to highlight that none of the players that were given starting opportunities such as Zinchenko, Tsyhankov and Boryachuk, were up for taking advantage of their chance to impress. Slovakia were far more motivated and tore Ukraine apart with 4 well worked goals. On two occasions, Denys Boyko made huge mistakes, resulting in his chances of starting in the future significantly diminishing. The game ended 4-1, thanks to Konoplyanka’s 19th goal for his country giving the team something positive to take away from the game.
Next up, it was Turkey. The game’s build up was marred by a farcical scenario relating to the match’s venue. It was initially meant to be played in Dnipro, giving the city it’s first Ukraine match since 2009. However, just a fortnight ago, the match was decidedly moved to Antalya instead with limited to no official reasoning as to why this decision was taken. 

Karpaty Lviv’s Maryan Shved making his
Ukraine Senior debut v Turkey
The majority of Ukrainian journalists speculate it was down to Lucescu not wanting to play in the cold of Ukraine. Nevertheless, a very disappointing decision made by the FFU. The game itself was uneventful. Youngsters such as Mykolenko of Dynamo Kyiv made their debuts. Shaparenko got his first senior Ukraine start. Whilst Maryan Shved, Karpaty Lviv starlet came on late in the game for his own international bow. We hope it is the start of many more!
UPL NEWS
Away from international football, some developments in the UPL have occurred during the off period. Rumours have been gaining ground about the UPL expanding from 12 teams to 16. According to Kostyantin Andriyuk on TaToTake, the decision is 99% complete and we are just awaiting official confirmation. As of yet nobody from the UPL has commented on the situation. 
However, more revelations have been exposed relating to UPL President, the Swiss lawyer, Thomas Grimm. He is reportedly earning 20,000 Euros a month for his role, but only visits Ukraine every three weeks and stays on average for a total of three days at a time. Can someone really be invested in helping to progress and clean up a league in decline, when they’re hardly ever present? 

For more on these stories, they were covered in greater depth over over on Futbolgrad
Also in the news surrounding the league is news of Olimpik Donetsk players reportedly being involved in match fixing. At least five players, now playing for other clubs have been named for playing their part in dubious match defining moments for the Olimpik Donetsk U19 & U21 sides. There are reports saying that the club could be potentially removed from the league after further investigations take place! This will make the likelihood of a financially stable and secure 16 team UPL even more difficult to draw up and implement!
SPECIAL GUEST OF THE WEEK
Andrew Todos of Zorya Londonsk Weekly will be making predictions for every UPL game this season, against a variety of guests. 
Our fifteenth guest of the 2018 – 19 season is Graphic designer and Tribuna.ua blogger, Dmytro Shtrays. He specializes in sports designs; creating logos, merchandise and more for clubs across Ukraine. Just this week, his design was chosen as the new Olimpik Donetsk badge, which will become official from next season. We had a chat with him about all things sport and design in order to get an insight into the processes behind his work, his past, present and future projects and a we touch on how he sees his club, Shakhtar faring in Europe for the remainder of the season. 
1. To begin with let’s start with a little background as to where you’re from and what teams you follow across the leagues of the world? 
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“It’s complicated. The simple reply to ‘where am I from’ would be to say that I live in the Russian provinces in the city of Cherepovets, Vologodska oblast. In sport, the city is known for KHL (Ice Hockey) club Severstal. However, I spent my childhood in Donetsk as my mother is from there. In the mid- 90s we moved to Russia, and we live here to this day.  Under the influence of local television, as a youngster I stuck behind Spartak for some time before following Lokomotiv for a bit. Once I moved up to senior school, everything changed.

Shakhtar – Borussia 07/07/2001

I visited Donetsk, to see relatives and went to see a home game (Shakhtar – Borussia 07/07/2001) and ever since I have only supported them. On the whole I also like to keep an eye on the likes of Barca, Borussia and Roma whilst in England, I like West Ham and Man United. I also love basketball and the NBA; I support and follow many of the sides there but I’d really like to see the Toronto Raptors become champions!”

2.How long have you been a graphic designer and why in particular is your ‘specialty’ sporting badges and emblems?
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“I studied at art school but the course didn’t focus on anything specific; more a variety of topics including academic painting, drawing, portraits , still life and landscapes. Such areas seem quite far away from the designing of sports emblems. But this education, helped me greatly in acquiring knowledge of different techniques, knowledge and artistic taste. After Art school, I started to shift over to the side design. It turned out not to be so easy to make the change. My first attempts looked like little ugly pictures, too much complexity with an abundance of detail. 
Dmytro working on the Nyva Ternopil logo
The road to general skill acquisition took a couple of years. It was at some point in 2015 that I started producing more or less interesting work. The breakthrough came in 2017 – when I made my first official project for Nyva Ternopil. Hirnik Sport – Horishni Plavini followed suit. After such a year, I didn’t think the results could be repeated. However, in 2018 it did; MBK Mykolayiv and Olimpik Donetsk chose my designs as their new emblems. Two other projects could have also been realised but the reasoning behind both of them not coming to fruition was out of my hands. Essentially you can say that I have been a fully fledged designer these past two years. Before the Nyva job, you could describe my work more as advertising action.”
 3.What was your first sporting design and which clubs or teams have ended up using your designs 
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“Initially, I started with hockey. Since I live in a hockey city, I decided to draw the logo for local hockey side; Severstal. But at the point it wasn’t the right time The team had a logo featuring the factory which they represent. They didn’t even take a look at my logo. However, my design has now become the symbol of the club’s fan movement.

HC Yugra Khanty Mansiysk Goalkeeper

After this I decided to participate in a design competition for the new badge of another hockey club – HC Yugra Khanty Mansiysk. The competition turned out to be so dirty that I vowed I would never participate in them again. I am confident the design won but thanks to ‘last minute voting’ it suddenly lost! Despite this, my logo has since been used at the club, after featuring on the mask of the club’s goalkeeper; Ilya Proskuryakova. So in part, the logo succeeded.


A selection of Dmytro’s designs for
well known Ukrainian clubs
 In general Russia has not ‘accepted me’ as a designer. As a result, I decided to try and find happiness in Ukraine, putting my talent into something that I know and love; Ukrainian football! A concept for Olimpik with a torch became the first Ukrainian logo that I designed. Following this there was a wild farce with the logos’ chosen for Stal Kamianske and Mariupol; I started hitting road blocks at every corner. But at present, time has passed and I hope that now I’m going in the right direction.”
 4.What was your inspiration behind Olimpik’s new badge and how long did it take to complete? Does every logo take around the same of time to finish or does it vary?
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“Not many can see the main essence behind Olimpik’s current logo. As a Donetsk native and a fan of Shakhtar, I wanted to make it so that Olimpik’s was dramatically to all others. The Miners are an old club associated with local industry. Olimpik are the opposite; they are a young club; only established in 2001. I was looking for motives, that were in no way intertwined with the industrial side of Donetsk. And I thought of roses. Or rather they were always there. Back in 1970, UNESCO named Donetsk the city of a million roses! It was an ideal symbol for the club as an antipode to the Miners.
Olimpik’s new badge from
2019/20
The job was conducted over an incredibly long period of time. I drew it quickly, but routine approvals lasted endlessly. Then when the club announced their logo competition my emblem was added alongside a few others alternatives. It was clear that the club was looking for an ideal option. Nobody else came up with anything better, and I stayed as the main challenger throughout before finally winning the competition. Although initially I was not planning on taking part in the competition process. From start to finish, the process took nearly a year.
Olimpik’s current badge
For symbolism the logo needed to include roses; one of the main characteristics of Donetsk (initially even people wanted them to be displayed on the city’s coat of arms, but in the end they went for a hammer). Roses symbolize growing football talent – you can tribute this to the Olimpik football academy, from which the modern professional club draws its origins from. Stripes are a historic part of the club’s image; this element was saved from the first club’s emblem. I also included a white ribbon with the city’s name –the positioning showing that the city is the foundation of the team. Therefore, I like to call this ribbon the ” cradle “. It’s also not by chance that there is a British influence in this design, because it was precisely the British who brought football to Yuzovka, the founding name of Donetsk.”
5. What other projects are you working on at the moment; Is there any information that you would be able to share with us? Are there any other clubs in the UPL, that you believe need to renovate and modernize their badges at the current moment? 
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“At this current time I’ve finished every logo project that I’ve undertaken. At the moment I don’t have any offers for future emblem designs. But I am getting other projects in form of kits, merchandise and more for sporting teams.

BFC Mykolayiv’s new badge

In particular, I recently finished the new kit designs for FC Mykolayiv. There’s also work for Basketball Club Mykolayiv going on. Next year, Hirnik Sport is celebrating 25 years and the club has plenty of surprises in store. Design work is not only exclusive to club logos!

                                      
Hirnik Sport’s badge 
In the UPL it’s irregular for one club or another to change a badge every season. In general, I don’t like to criticize, without showing your own alternative option.  As a result, I think I wont comment, but will hint that Chornomorets, FC Lviv and probably Vorskla could become a little bit better! 
In general, I would want to eventually branch out on a broader European level. I’d like to work with someone further afield on the continent. It would be interesting!”
 6. As a Shakhtar fan, how would you rate the club’s performances this season? Will Shakhtar get out of the UCL groups or will they be seeing in the Spring, playing in the Europa League?
DMYTRO SHTRAYS –“This season needs to be written off as a transition period. It is noticeable by the experiments on display in their regular starting line ups. Injuries haven’t helped either… In prior seasons, people spoke of an endless bench, but where is that now? Needs to be reanalyzed. The team is getting younger. However, on the back of this they lead in the UPL and will most probably become champions again. 
Dmytro in Donetsk, 2003
They’re still not out of the UCL just yet. They’ve still not lost to the other sides bar Man City, who just keep winning despite their initial loss to Lyon, so I’m glad those fixtures are out of the way! So now the real battle will resume in the final two games, where there will be more level competition. Therefore, I will hold back on my assessment before the UCL groups conclude. In terms of getting to the QF’s of the UCL or the UEL, of course there is a better chance of winning in the Europa League. 
With the way the team played against Man City, it showed everyone that the Miners need to continue in their restructuring and take pause during the winter break. The Europa League should give opportunities for resting of the veterans and more chances for newbies such as Maycon, Fernando and Bolbat. Of course, Shakhtar ranks the UCL as their main priority; after all it excels the club’s image across the continent and is ultimately the most respected and prestigious prize in European Club football!”
DMYTRO SHTRAYS’ SOCIAL LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009577761706
https://www.instagram.com/matt_shtrays/
https://ua.tribuna.com/profile/1022928673/
PREDICTOR TIME
A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
FRIDAY

Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Lviv
Todos’ prediction: Shakhtar have a massive game in midweek coming up in UCL, but that shouldn’t stop them from beating FC Lviv. Shakhtar will be missing Marlos for this game but it’s unlikely he would be ultimately pivotal. Mikhail Mudryk is part of the match day squad and will be looking to get some more minutes under his belt. FC Lviv have impressed this season, but they will most probably be out of their depth in this one. 3-0
Dmytro’s prediction: A comfortable home win. 2-0
RESULT: 0-0
SATURDAY


Karpaty Lviv v Desna Chernihiv
Todos’ prediction: Karpaty have had an impressive run of late, and will be wanting to maintain their positive results in front of a home crowd and with a new giant LED scoreboard to be inaugurated. Marian Shved will be the key man in this as he returns from his first game for the Ukraine senior National team. Desna don’t travel particularly well and they will as a result be edged out in this one . 2-1
Dmytro’s prediction: A narrow encounter with the visitors coming out on top. 0-1
RESULT: 0-2: FILLIPOV (27′) , STARENKIY (43′)
Mariupol v Vorskla Poltava
Todos’ prediction: Vorskla are another side in European action next week, welcoming Arsenal to the Oleksiy Butovskiy stadium. However, they will be wanting to keep up the pressure for third, by getting a positive result away at the inconsistent Mariupol. The Azov coast side have a knack of causing upsets but I feel the resolute defence of Vorskla will be enough to keep them out. 0-1
Dmytro’s prediction: Vorksla to take all three points back to Poltava. 1-2
RESULT: 1-0: ZUBKOV (58′)
SUNDAY

Olimpik Donetsk v Zorya Luhansk
Todos’ prediction: Zorya have not had the best of seasons to date, but they will be wanting to get one over a poor Olimpik side, who have not been the most impressive since Shevchuk became head coach. Lack of goals and a leaky defence seem to be compounding their misery further. Zorya should have just enough to shut the Donetsk side out and knick a couple of goals. 0-2
Dmytro’s prediction: This one is going to end all square. 1-1
RESULT: BALASHOV (P) (59′) / VERNYDUB (50′)


Chornomorets Odesa v Arsenal Kyiv
Todos’ prediction:The league’s two bottom sides meet in this six pointer in Odesa. Arsenal will be wanting to get their second win under Grozny whilst Chornomorets will be desperate to stay outside of the relegation spot. However, neither side has enough quality to do one over the other. 0-0
Dmytro’s prediction: No winners in this one. 1-1
RESULT: 2-1: MUSOLITIN (67′) , KOVAL (69′) / SEMENYUK (62′)


Oleksandriya v Dynamo Kyiv
Todos’ prediction:This is certainly the GAME of the weekend. The Ukrainian Leicester play hosts to Dynamo Kyiv. Oleksandriya have managed to keep up the pace with Dynamo so far this season and could go above the Kyivans with a win! Unthinkable, right? Dynamo go into the game with a good run of form, bar a loss to Shakhtar in their recent past run in. However, I feel the home advantage will aid Oleksandriya in their pursuit of getting something out of the game. The reverse fixture earlier in the season, was a narrow 1-0 win to Dynamo. I just sense an upset in this one. 1-1
Dmytro’s prediction: Will be all too straightforward for Dynamo on the road . 1-3
RESULT: 2-1: TSURIKOV (3′) , ZAPOROZHAN (56′) / VERBIC (33′)
MATCHDAY 16 FINAL SCORE: 

ANDREW (0 – 60) DMYTRO

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GUEST LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 16
Todos
650
Guests
720
Todos v Guests
P16
W7
D2  L5

UPL PREDICTOR 2018/19 – MATCHDAY 15

UPL PREDICTOR 2018/19 – MATCHDAY 15
UPL & EUROPEAN CUPS ROUND UP
Last week in UPL saw Kharkiv play host to the Ukrainian Clasico! Shakhtar were looking to get their first win over Dynamo after 4 consecutive losses, and boy did they get it! In a match played at a high tempo throughout, every tackle was laced with tenacity as both sides were determined to take away the three points. Dynamo dominated the first half, justly rewarded with a goal by Shaparenko just before half time. Shakhtar were far too off the pace and were lucky to not be further behind with Verbic missing some easy chances. 
However, with the introduction of Taison at half time, the game suddenly became a lot more even. He immediately made an impact, going on a mazy run past a couple of Dynamo defenders and squaring along the line for Junior Moraes to tap in. Verbic missed another chance in between Viktor Kovalenko’s 93rdminute stunner. Laid off by Moraes, just inside the area, Kovalenko finessed the ball into the opposite corner past the stretching Boyko. The Dynamo Kyiv keeper didn’t stand a chance. That result leaves the Kyivans EIGHT points off the pace and will now need to rely on Shakhtar to slip up whilst themselves beating the lower ranked sides!
Elsewhere in the league, Karpaty won their third consecutive away game, after previous wins in the league and cup. Marian Shved got the winner from the spot as the Lions edged out Olimpik Donetsk in Kyiv. ‘Arch rivals’ FC Lviv on the other hand, lost to Vorskla comfortably with young Najeeb Yakubu getting his first goal for the Poltava outfit. 

Oleksandriya claimed their second draw in as many match days after a resilient Desna snatched an equaliser late on to make the game finish 1-1. Donbas sides, Mariupol and Zorya returned to winning ways respectively, seeing off the two lowest sides in the league in the form of Arsenal Kyiv and Chornomorets. 

Mariupol piled more misery on Vyacheslav Grozny’s side and it looks like Kyiv city’s second club side are doomed to go straight back down to the Persha Liha. Zorya inflicted another defeat on Odesa, who remain just ahead of Arsenal in the league, thanks to their occasional luck of pulling off results against the likes of Dynamo. If there were two relegation spots, they’d also be nailed on for the drop after a significant decline since the start of the season.
What a week it was in Europe for Ukrainian teams as well. Shakhtar followed up their derby day victory with probably one of the worst performances in both their own history and the history of Ukrainian clubs in Europe. With Viktor Kassai ruining the event with an abomination of a penalty decision, the game fell apart in front of Shakhtar’s eyes. Man City showed their class and demolished the Donetsk side 6-0! We were in Manchester for that game and a more in depth look into the day as a whole will be coming your way at the start of next week.
On Thursday, it was down to the other Ukrainian sides to restore some pride and some UEFA Coefficient points. A Ukrainian team desperately needs to go far in Europe this season in order to help maintain their 5 places in Europe. 

Dynamo Kyiv were first up and they didn’t disappoint. They saw of Rennes with ease thanks to goals from Verbic, Mykolenko and Shaparenko. Many are calling it Dynamo’s best performance of the season and it would be hard to disagree with them, judging from some of the woeful performances Dynamo have given us previously. They returned to their group’s summit, edging Astana on goal difference thanks to the 3-1 win. 

Meanwhile, Vorskla welcomed Qarabag to the Oleksiy Butovskiy Stadium. An early penalty was awarded to the away side thanks to Bohdan Shust’s challenge and once the Azerbaijani club scored that, it remained difficult for Vorskla to get back in the game. Some fireworks and flares were thrown on the athletics track close to the 60thminute and this led to the game being interrupted for over 10 minutes. Upon the restart Vorskla just couldn’t make the comeback. It looks like Vorskla’s time in Europe this season will be coming to a close at the start of December. 
PREDICTOR TIME
A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.

SATURDAY

FC Lviv v Olimpik Donetsk
Todos’ prediction:Having been comfortably beaten away to Vorskla last weekend, Lviv’s ‘other’ club welcomes Olimpik Donetsk to Arena Lviv. A hostile reception (by the few hundred in attendance) will no doubt greet Olimpik’s Oleksiy Hai after his recent comments depicting Russia and the Donbas from a pro-Moscow perspective. Both sides go into this fixture with only a handful of wins between them for the season. It will be a dogged and aggressive contest where spoils will be shared. 1-1
RESULT: 1-1: TAYLOR (27′) / SHYNDER (63′)
Desna Chernihiv v Chornomorets Odesa
Todos’ prediction: Desna will be feeling buoyant after their recent run of results. A draw against third placed Oleksandriya, a win over Mariupol and a narrow 1-0 loss away to Shakhtar make good reading for what is to come from the Chernihiv side. With lowly Chornomorets visiting the Gagarin Stadium this weekend, Desna will be confident of getting a result in front of their home crowd. 2-0
RESULT: 2-0: BEZBORODKO (55′) , FAVOROV (64′)
Zorya Luhansk v Karpaty Lviv
Todos’ prediction:Zorya have had quite the inconsistent season so far. Seriously underperforming in games that they’d have been nailed on to win in previous seasons. Rafael Ratao upfront has not been up to scratch, Hromov has not been the same since his return from injury and seeing off lower ranked sides has become more of a challenge. 

They meet perennially inconsistent Karpaty, who have in recent weeks strung together three wins on the bounce. Marian Shved has been pivotal in these performances and will look to impress once more this time round. Both sides are unlikely to keep a clean sheet, and with Karpaty being so electric away from home they will be looking to get something out of the game. However, Zorya will put up a fight. 2-2
RESULT: 2-1: Khomchenovskiy (16′), Hordienko (70′) / Shved (34′)
Arsenal Kyiv v Oleksandriya
Todos’ prediction: On paper this game looks to certainly go to Oleksandriya, who will be aiming to keep themselves a step ahead of chasing Vorskla and aim to push up towards Dynamo ahead of their meeting in a few weeks. Arsenal remain rock bottom, with mid season manager appointment Grozny, only picking up three points since he took over from Ravanelli. Volodymyr Sharan’s Oleksandriya is currently working like a well oiled machine. It may have no superstars or prolific goal scorers but everyone knows their job in the side. Solid at the back and possessing just enough quality from their midfield and Strikers to put away one or two goals. Should be routine. 0-2
RESULT: 0-3: SHASTAL (33′) , SITALO (81′) , KOVALETS (90+1′)
SUNDAY

Dynamo Kyiv v Mariupol
Todos’ prediction: Dynamo will have forgotten about their last minute loss to Shakhtar after beating Rennes in the Europa League. However, they’ll need to refocus their mindset to the UPL quickly and avoid any European hangover. Mariupol should be a straightforward fixture, especially at home but as the Azov coast side showed against Zorya, if you’re not on your game they will punish you. They may ship goals, but fortunately they have competent attackers who are able to put the ball in the net. Regardless, Verbic and Tsyhankov will be looking to make amends for not scoring last weekend in Kharkiv and will be relishing the opportunity this weekend. 2-0
RESULT: 4-0: SHAPARENKO (33′), VERBIC (57′), CHOBOTENKO OG (62′), TSYHANKOV (85′)

 
Vorskla Poltava v Shakhtar Donetsk
Todos’ prediction: Both of the Ukrainian sides who lost in Europe midweek, meet in the league! Shakhtar will want to completely forget about Wednesday’s exploits against Manchester City as they travel to Poltava, who were unable to convert their chances against an average Qarabag side. Going into this fixture, both teams have good records in the UPL this season, but it’s likely that one of these sides will be nursing a European hangover more than the other. Shakhtar welcome back Marlos to the fold and he will be wanting to come back in style before the international break. Vorskla will put up a fight but Shakhtar with an extra day’s rest under their belts will be the ones celebrating come full time. 1-2
RESULT: 0-2: WELLINGTON NEM (19′), MAYCON (41′)
MATCHDAY 15 FINAL SCORE: 130!
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GUEST LEADERBOARD 
Total scores after week 15
Todos
650
Guests
660
Todos v Guests
P15
W7
D2  L4

UPL MATCHDAY 14 – THE UKRAINIAN ‘CLASICO’FEAT. VLADYSLAV VASHCUK

UPL MATCHDAY 14 – THE UKRAINIAN ‘CLASICO’FEAT. VLADYSLAV VASHCUK

UPL & UKRAINIAN CUP ROUND UP
Last week in the UPL had shocks aplenty! The biggest one was FC Lviv beating Dynamo Kyiv at the NSK Olympiyskiy by a goal to nil! The Lviv side’s Brazilian summer recruits have certainly stepped up to plate and are rewarding the side with vital goals. 
This result means that it’s highly likely that Shakhtar will be lifting the Ukrainian title next summer, as Dynamo lose to another lowly side. The difference between Kyiv and Donetsk is the Miners’ ability to win the games against everyone else and then when it comes to the Clasico, it’s less vital that they need a result. Shakhtar, without Moraes, Taison and Marlos easily turned over Arsenal Kyiv. Would a similarly weakened Dynamo been able to have done the same? 
Elsewhere, Karpaty returned to winning ways with a 5-0 thumping away at Chornomorets Odesa. It’s not looking good for the Black Sea side currently. Vorskla continued their fine form this season with a 2-1 win over Olimpik and the main man Kulach, got himself another goal to add to his Europa League winner. Third placed Oleksandriya stayed where they were as they played out a goalless stalemate with Zorya Luhansk. 
Whilst we have a Ukrainian Classico offering coming up this week, The Ukrainian Cup results and draw has also given us another in the next round. Dynamo came from behind to be FC Minaj 3-1, with Shaparenko getting a brace. Shakhtar also came from behind to beat city rivals, Olimpik 3-2. Inhulets, from the Persha Liha, beat UPL side Mariupol, whilst Dnipro-1 beat Kalush ensuring two lower league sides secured a place in the Ukrainian Cup quarter finals. Karpaty narrowly beat Cherkasschyna Akademia, whilst FC Lviv also won against Hirnyk Kriviy Rih. Zorya edged Desna in a penalty shootout whilst Vorskla saw off Chornomorets to finalise the QF berths!
UKRAINIAN CLASICO WEEK – AN INTERVIEW WITH VLADYSLAV VASHCHUK
Our fourteenth guest of the 2018 – 19 season is former Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine National Team centre-back, Vladyslav Vashchuk. Vashchuk was a member of the great Dynamo team that entertained Europe at the end of the nineties. His defensive partnership with Oleksandr Holovko was seen as the one of the best on the continent. He featured heavily in both Champions League campaigns in which the Kyiv side reached the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals in 97/98 and 98/99 respectively.

Vladyslav Vashchuk (Bottom row, second from left) November 1997 

Having amassed close to 250 league appearances for Dynamo, he can also be named a veteran of the Ukrainian Clasico (Klasichne) having played Shakhtar countless times during his time at the capital club. As a result, it is apt that we were able to talk to him this week ahead of the big game this weekend to find out more about this revered derby!


1.  You played in numerous matches against Shakhtar in your career. Are there any particular games or moments against the Miners that stick out in the memory?
VASHCHUK:‘Of course, games against Shakhtar have always been important. We always gave them special attention in our preparations because in the UPL, they were probably the most important games of the season for Dynamo. 
The match that is most poignant in my memory was probably the one where I got injured in 2002. This injury was a pivotal turning point in my life and changed it irreversibly as far as I knew it. I ended up rupturing my cruciate knee ligament and not many players fully recover from such a serious injury. Some of them just leave and retire from football. You lose half a year minimum of playing time with such an injury. 
This is what happened in the game v Shakhtar Donetsk. After very a strong challenge for the ball with Shakhtar forward Vorobey, I just couldn’t get up again. I remember Sanya Shovkovskiy was carrying me to the bus with his bare hands and I thought this was it… this is the end of my career! 
When we played Shakhtar we played until the death, approaching the game aggression and without compromise. However, it is important to point out that, this never affected the relationship of the players between the two sides away from the pitch. All of us, as football people were able to separate ourselves between the beautiful game and our lives away from it.’
2.   UPL attendances have been waning in recent seasons, but back when you played this game was usually a sell out. What was the atmosphere like during a match against Shakhtar and how aggressive and tense were the games from a player’s perspective?
VASHCHUK: ‘These were the main games of the season. Every game was important. There was no other team stronger than Shakhtar, in the UPL, that could match us as competitively. The atmosphere varied from game to game, but the tension was enormous!’
3.   Having come up against countless attackers in your Clasico appearances, which Shakhtar player(s) gave you the most difficult time on the pitch?
VASHCHUK: ‘Hennadiy Orbu was not your standard player, he could always pull something out of the bag unexpectedly.Serhiy Popov wasn’t bad either either for the high standards of this fixture. Other than them I can’t really pick anyone else out. To properly answer the question, for me there weren’t any tough players that I came up against from Shakhtar. I practically could read them all very well.’
4.   How do you currently rate the current Dynamo side and their performances this season?
VASHCHUK: ‘If I’m honest, I don’t want to take any responsibility in making any prognosis of any particular players or performances. I believe in Sasha Khatskevich and I believe in the team.’
5.   What do you think the side currently lacks and are there any positives that Dynamo showing at the moment?
VASHCHUK: ‘First of all, there is a current shortage of qualified footballers. The Football World doesn’t stand still; the level of the game develops and improves on a day to day basis. To make a world class team out of only young players whilst playing in the Ukrainian league is probably not possible at this moment in time. Dynamo has currently entered the turbulent zone, and what happens next, nobody knows bar a close circle of people. Hence why I don’t really want to comment on what is happening right now.’
6.   Will Dynamo come away from this weekend’s fixture in Kharkiv with a positive result?
VASHCHUK: ‘I think Dynamo will bring back a victory. It has never been more needed to get a victory than in the present. The team needs stimulation, motivation especially after the loss to Lviv last time round. obviously Shakhtar is also up for the battle. I think the match is going to be interesting.’
7.   It’s now been more than seven years since you retired from playing football professionally. What have you been up to see leaving the game?
VASHCHUK: ‘Since retiring, I’ve opened a youth football ‘Academy Vladyslav Vashchuk’ in Brovary, where more than 200 children train. 
At the moment, I am currently launching a football project linked with FC Vector (Kyiv). I want to create an established club, with a fully integrated and recpetive vertical structure, starting from the youth schools all the way to the first team.
I’m also currently involved in the development of the largest Ukrainian IT company specialising in sporting analytics. With the help of artificial intelligence, we are basically creating a new football reality. New technologies and scientific developments related to football are interest me greatly. We are learning from and taking note of world trends and global achievements in these fields. 
We are also learning from the Zelentsov group of scientists and what they were developing This is the group with Valeriy Lobanovskiy worked closely alongside to create his own scientific based approach to the sport. I am always lost for words when I see what is being created and advanced. We are doing our own unique thing. Honestly, I am opening a new world for myself.’

VLADYSLAV VASHCHUK’S SOCIAL LINKS:
⚽️ Vladyslav Vashchuk on Instagram
PREDICTOR TIME

A correct result (WIN / DRAW/ DEFEAT) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns an extra 40 points.
SATURDAY

Mariupol v Arsenal Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: After a limp defeat to Inhulets in the cup during midweek and another loss away to Desna last weekend, Mariupol will be looking to regain some confidence and form. They play bottom side Arsenal, who still do not seem like they will be able to turn their season around. Mariupol are strong at home and should have enough to turn over the Kyiv side. 2-1
RESULT: 1-0: VAKULA (81′)
Shakhtar Donetsk v Dynamo Kyiv
Todos’ prediction: It’s the GAME OF THE WEEKEND! The UFC styled posters that have been promoting this game have done well to create some hype. However, Dynamo go into the game seriously off the pace. Their home to FC Lviv last time out, means they are seriously at risk of losing the title race already if they don’t get a result here. The actual game will probably overshadow the build up. Narrow affairs and with Dynamo’s lack of goal-scoring options at the moment. Envisage a bore draw. 0-0
RESULT: 2-1: MORAES (54′), KOVALENKO (90+3′) / SHAPARENKO (44′)

Olimpik Donetsk v Karpaty Lviv
Todos’ prediction: Olimpik have not had the best of starts under Shevchuk. However, this week they play a side that is more on their level compared to the likes of Dynamo, Vorskla or Shakhtar. Karpaty look to have got some of the flair and form back after demolishing Chornomorets, but they won’t have the killer edge to close off a win here. Score draw. 1-1
RESULT: 2-1: PASICH (90+2) / PONDE (5′) , SHVED (73′)
SUNDAY

Oleksandriya v Desna Chernihiv
Todos’ prediction: Oleksandriya remain in third spot for now and continue to grind out results. They don’t have a prolific forward but their resolute defending and team ethic has seen them maintain their high league ranking. Desna may have won last week but with this fixture being away from home for them, Oleksandriya should have just enough to see themselves over the line. 2-0
RESULT: 1-1: ZAPAROZHAN (53′) / HITCHENKO (88′)


Vorskla Poltava v FC Lviv 
Todos’ prediction: After a historic win for FC Lviv in Kyiv last week, they will be bouncing after regaining some momentum. Their Brazilian recruits really have been pivotal for them, however they face a strong Vorskla side who have their sights set on third place again. It’s games like these they can’t afford to lose if they want to keep toe to toe with Oleksandriya. 1-0
RESULT: 2-0: REBENOK (19′) , YAKUBU (39′)

Chornomorets Odesa v Zorya Luhansk
Todos’ prediction: Zorya have been woeful in recent weeks. Their performances have seriously waned from recent seasons. However, when facing Chornomorets, they should have no excuses in winning this one. Odesa were battered 5-0 by the inconsistent Karpaty, so Zorya should be coming away from this with a victory minimum.  0-2
RESULT: 0-3: TYMCHYK (27′) , MAYBORODA (66′) , KARAVAYEV (72′)
MATCHDAY 14 FINAL SCORE: 30 POINTS
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GUEST LEADERBOARD (UPDATE IN PROGRESS)
Total scores after week 14
Todos
520
Guests
660
Todos v Guests
W7
D2  L4