Oleksandria return to Arena Lviv for Matchday 4 in the Europa League as they host St Etienne tonight!
After a hard worked 1-1 draw that Oleksandria could have even won had they been more clinical, the battle for a knockout round place still remains attainable.
Since that game, Oleksandriya kept league leaders Shakhtar at bay, leading to Donetsk dropping their first points of the season in a 0-0 draw.
This result can be seen as a testimony to Volodymyr Sharan’s stringent defensive set up. Not only are they organised but also disciplined and composed, especially when it comes to opposition who are likely to dominate the attacking chances and possession.
Yuri Pankiv in between the posts has also been a valuable asset this campaign with a host of important saves!
However if Oleksandria are serious about making the Round of 32, a goal many thought was unachievable when the draw was made, they must start converting the limited chances they get.
Artem Sitalo has started up front for Oleksandria in all three UEL games so far scoring one goal and not doing too much else. It’s not entirely his fault as he is rather isolated leading the line on his own.
Wide men, Tretyakov and Luchkevych who have been lively in the fixtures so far will he need to be more precise with their final balls whilst the hosts will need to attempt to get more players into the box on counter attacking occasions.
Second choice striker Bezborodko scored again on the weekend and it would be interesting to see whether he could make a more dynamic difference if he were to start. Although it is unlikely, with Sharan favouring a very similar starting XI for all three games so far and being largely satisfied with the results accumulated to this point.
Kyrylo Kovalets, needs to be given a special mention as he continues to impress in the league and in Europe. His creativity in the attacking midfield role is the catalyst for many of his side’s attacks. He scored and assisted on the weekend and looks to be a likely goalscoring outlet if chance creation is to be limited to the edge of the box.
Claude Puel’s visiting side are still unbeaten under his tenure and will be wanting revenge for the ‘humiliating’ result of the reverse leg. They too are winless so far this campaign, with two draws to their name.
A plus for the Ukrainians though should be that their opponents are also lacking in the goals department at the moment. With no clean sheet in Etienne’s last 9 UEL away fixtures, the omens look to be in Oleksandria’s favour!
Let’s hope that Sharan’s men can defy the odds once again and pull off a historic first ever victory in the Europa League tonight!
It’s Dynamo’s turn to represent Ukraine on the continental stage this evening as they take on Copenhagen in the Europa League!
It’s the second showdown between these two in as many weeks as they vie for the top spot in the group!
Dynamo go into this game a lot more confident than they had done just a fortnight ago after a recent run of impressive results and performances.
Since the 1-1 draw with Copenhagen, the performance of which epitomised the lethargic and aimless style that has plagued Dynamo from the departure of Rebrov, Kyiv have impressed. However it is still way too early to say that they have turned a new corner.
Dynamo’s performance against Shakhtar in the Cup raised eyebrows with how well Dynamo moved the ball forward but ultimately action in the box was sparing. The final third is where this side need to do the most work. The personnel at hand for that solo forward role may also be to blame.
Despite the many goals Besiedin scores in the UPL, this is never replicated in the big games. Likewise Tsyhankov has yet to find his feet this season and is struggling to reinvigorate the form of last season. Has his big club / big league move ship sailed already?
For all their problems up top, one area where Dynamo look seriously impressive is in defence.
Shabanov has enjoyed a stellar season so far, cementing himself as the first centre back on the team sheet. He’s improved ten fold on his recent seasons, looking composed on the ball and when going in for the tackle. With Popov alongside him, who also looks to have made an impression after commanding displays in recent weeks, conceding goals is now less of a problem.
Another plus side of this partnership is their contribution in the opposition box. With goals against top sides limited to set pieces, due to the lacking of an astute forward, both defenders have provided goals for the side as well.
U20 World Cup winner, Popov is already having comparisons to the legendary Sergio Ramos drawn since his breakthrough. May his development continue in such a positive path!
However, it really won’t be good enough for Dynamo to grind out yet another low scoring draw if they are truly serious about going far in this competition. They’ll need to win on the road tonight as the fixture list doesn’t get that much easier.
Lugano come to Kyiv next , who Dynamo failed to score against, before a trip back to the Øresund Strait to face a tricky Malmö! Hence a win in Denmark would at least ensure that Dynamo held top spot qualification entirely in their own hands!
Whether they take this opportunity, is as unpredictable as the weather!
Shakhtar face Dinamo Zagreb tonight in Croatia as the two clubs fight for second place in the group!
Zagreb go into the game as slight favourites, boasting an impressive recent home form and the fact that Shakhtar are nursing a number of injuries to key first team individuals!
The reverse tie in Kharkiv was slightly more difficult than many expected for the Miners as they went behind twice before pulling it back to 2-2.
That match was the catalyst for a poor run of games. Shakhtar drew their following league fixture 0-0 against UEL representatives Oleksandria and then lost to Dynamo Kyiv in the Cup. They may have won on the weekend just gone, but the side fielded by Luis Castro was a reserve team at best; players being rested and injuries playing a role in the line up.
Kryvstov and Marlos did fly to Croatia despite injury doubts but Konoplyanka and Solomon did not.
When it comes to the UCL, Shakhtar have been shipping goals and are unable to consistently rely on keeper Pyatov, who decides to drop at least one howler per game, forcing the forwards in the side to mop up his mess.
A reminder that during the Kharkiv tie, Pyatov decided to pull down a Dinamo player by the neck as a set piece was coming in with the ball nowhere near the pair. He will need to leave lapses of judgement like this out of his game, if they are to beat a Zagreb side with a potent attacking threat.
Dodo, a young Brazilian right back has been the saviour in Shakhtar’s last two UCL games. He assisted the 90+5 minute winger against Atalanta and netted against Dinamo in the home tie. He hasn’t started in either of those games but his attacking prowess and game changing contributions could see Castro favour him over the inconsistent and at best average, Bolbat.
The Maksimir will be hostile tonight. Not least due to Dinamo’s fans close ties with Dynamo likely to amplify the animosities. But Zagreb fans are hopeful that their best side in years can continue to deliver in Europe’s premier competition.
Shakhtar won’t mind this too much as their record away from ‘home’ is rather impressive; winning 15 of their last 17 travels. However, top scorer Junior Moraes will need to step up his own goalscoring exploits if they are to remain in pursuit of that knockout round place.
As mentioned previously, this match (as it stands) looks to be the second place decider albeit both sides may have some fallback. City can qualify tonight with a victory against Atalanta and as such may rest players in the remaining fixtures. Whilst Shakhtar still have Atalanta to play at home. The second spot in the group could be taken by either side.
But would it really be so bad if Donetsk finished third and gave a good run in the Europa League? Regardless, a big game awaits in the Croatian capital tonight!
The past week in Ukrainian football has been yet another rollercoaster! The Cup is usually quite a drab affair but it’s turning into quite the competition this year!
Mariupol got last week’s Matchday 12 kicked off beating Kolos at home. Albeit Kolos were not awarded what looked like a stonewall penalty due to a handball but the points ended up staying on the Azov coast regardless.
Mariupol continued their winning week in the Cup as they recorded another clean sheet and victory at home to march into the Quarter finals. Olimpik were the victims on this occasion as they lost 1-0 in the Donetsk Oblast derby!
Then it was Zorya’s go at turning on the spectacular as they demolished a sorry Vorskla 4-0. Rusyn scores a beautiful finesse shot straight into the top corner whilst Lednev was influential once again, assisting twice and getting on the scoresheet himself.
Then the Cup came along and Oleksandriya beckoned. Lednev once again scored a free kick but this time his contributions weren’t enough to prevent the game from going to penalties. It ended 1-1 AET before Oleksandriya came out as winners! That will come as a disappointment to Skripnyk’s young men as they looked like they could have gone on quite a run this season.
Desna then travelled to Lviv, to hand them revenge for their opening day defeat. Desna were without their top scorer Fillipov for this one but still managed to score four thanks to the back ups, Dehtaryov and Khlyobas putting a shift in during his absence. Ryabokon’s men look determined to stay in that Europa League spot this season! Lviv didn’t show up once again and remained bottom as a result!
Surprisingly Lviv were still in the Cup come midweek but that all changed rather quickly. Former Karpaty men, Kopolovets and Kobin, who coach FC Minaj had the last laugh as their Persha Liha side beat them 2-0. This was the last straw for the club’s hierarchy as they sacked Mazyar, already Lviv’s second coach of the season. Former Stal Kamianske manager, Egishe Melikyan replaces him.
Meanwhile Desna travelled to down south as they visited Mykolayiv. In what was a highly entertaining six goal thriller, a returning Fillipov got on the scoresheet as Desna rounded their R16 cup tie off with a 4-2 victory. Could they make the final this year?
Back to the UPL and Olimpik Donetsk keep on defying the odds. This time round, Dnipro-1 arrived in Kyiv and looked up for battle. Olimpik were resilient in their tactics, going behind early on and equalising. Then going ahead before being pegged back and then not letting heads drop, they secured the win by taking the lead for the final time. 3-2 was the final score and saw Olimpik move further away from the relegation zone!
As mentioned previously, Olimpik lost in their cup tie to Mariupol, whilst Dnipro-1 were embarrassed by last year’s second tier finalists, Inhulets who beat them 2-1! Is there a crisis a foot in Dnipro?
In the penultimate UPL game of Matchday 12; Dynamo faced Karpaty. It was expected that regardless of recent performances, the hosts would be far too strong for their currently struggling opponents. For 85 minutes this was largely the case, Dynamo threatened but were as usual unable to convert a host of chances in the final third. It was either a cross that didn’t reach its intended target or a chance squandered by the impressive Kudryk in goal!
Karpaty equalised through an unfortunate Shabanov own goal with five minutes to go and could have even won it in the final moments but it wasn’t meant to be. Another two points lost for Dynamo in the title race, in a week where Shakhtar also hit a hurdle!
Shakhtar faced a recently jubilant Oleksandriya, who were fresh from their impressive 1-1 draw with St Etienne. Neither side were able to carve out too many concrete chances but when they did , both keepers ensured the game ended goalless. Pankiv was impressive in particular and it would be good if he was able to get some minutes for the national team in the nearest break as a reward for his form in recent seasons!
The final Cup tie of the round climaxed in Kyiv as the Ukrainian Clasico played itself out for the third time this season.
Dynamo dominated the early exchanges and a Sydorchuk wonder strike from 30 yards out gave the Kyiv club an assertive one goal lead at the break. Dynamo continued to threaten in the second half but once again fell short of converting any chances in the box. The game was rather ill tempered as is expected from a big derby, with bookings being given out frequently.
Dynamo looked to be heading to the Quarter finals at the end of normal time with their clean sheet intact. However, after Shepelev was shown his marching orders for a second yellow, Shakhtar got themselves a corner. It bobbled in and around the box before coming to Stepanenko on the very edge. He made no mistake as he volleyed it past Bushchan in the 4th minute of added time.
Into Extra time and Stepanenko went from hero to zero as he got himself a customary second yellow and was shown the way to the changing rooms. Neither side let up in next thirty minutes but Dynamo were looking the more promising.
After some attacks down the flanks, Kyiv won a corner. It was swung in with power and U20 World Cup winner Denys Popov steamrolled through to connect a bullet header that left Pyatov with no chance!
Cue jubilation as the Dynamo academy graduate got his first ever senior goal and what a time it was to get it!
Many are saying that this result makes the cup competition even more intriguing now knowing that Shakhtar are out and that Dynamo are far from invincible. Maybe this is the season that an underdog finally gets to lift Ukraine’s second trophy!
PREDICTION TIME
Karpaty Lviv v Shakhtar Donetsk
Karpaty Lviv don’t have it easy when it comes to the fixture schedule. Neither do 9 of the other clubs in the league when it comes to the double header against the traditional top two. Dynamo last week, now Shakhtar!
Despite being rather average in Kyiv last week, a stroke of good fortune and Dynamo’s own inability to convert chances, helped Karpaty to a surprising point. Albeit, with the Dynamo’s season has unfurled so far, it wasn’t that much of a shock to the system. However, if Karpaty were to achieve anything other than a loss in this one, then people’s eyebrows would be well and truly raised.
Shakhtar have had their worst week of the season so far, having drawn a blank against Oleksandriya last time out and then narrowly succumbing to Dynamo in the Cup. Although the result was close, Shakhtar really didn’t turn up and it showed that maybe this ‘invincible’ persona in the league can be breached.
Regardless of recent results, it will be an uphill task for the hosts as it’s apparent that Shakhtar are a class or more above their opponents. Karpaty had a few minor chances against Dynamo but ultimately looked lacklustre in attack. They largely had goalkeeper Kudryk to thank for his 15 saves to keep them in it. If he can pull off a similar performance then who knows, but Shakhtar will be determined to make amends for their recent blip.
Last season, this tie ended 6-1 to the visitors. Whilst it’s difficult to see such an extreme scoreline again (although nothing is off the cards) Shakhtar will be looking to get out of their rut with some gust-eau.
Even without Konoplyanka, Marlos, Ismaily, Kryvstov and Pyatov, who have all not travelled, it’s difficult to see anything but a win for the league’s top side. 0-3
Vorskla Poltava v Desna Chernihiv
This is an interesting match up between two Ukrainian Cup Quarter Finalists.
Vorskla ended their awful winless streak in midweek thanks to the narrowest of victories against Kolos. This should give Kosovksyi’s men some respite after a terrible start to the season. However, Cup form often counts for nothing.
Desna come to town and they look to be back to peak form after a couple of defeats. They looked to be have slipped off in recent games before they reasserted themselves by taking revenge on Lviv. One thing this side seems to have is balance. The defence is hard working and disciplined and concedes goals minimally. Meanwhile, their attack is actually rather potent and regardless of the forward (s) that start they always seem to end up on the scoresheet!
Top scorer Fillipov returned from injury in midweek and scored on his comeback, whilst Khlyobas and Dehtaryov have kept Ryabokon thinking with goals in his absence.
They could pose a real threat to Vorskla regardless of who starts and it doesn’t look to be too pleasant of viewing for the hosts. They’re level on points at the bottom of the table and sit above Lviv on H2H record. So it’s already looking to be a make or break period in the season for the club. Yes a few victories will change everything like it has done for Olimpik, but it’s whether this ageing and uninspiring squad can string those victories together.
Desna look to be the outright favourites in this and they need to continue to pick up easier three points in games like these if they are aiming to maintain their challenge for third, if not second place in the table before the split in March! 0-2
Dnipro-1 v Zorya Luhansk
There’s an absolute abundance of youth talent on display in this fixture which should entitle it to the game of the round!
Dnipro-1 host this game in a state of free fall. Whilst this will be music to the ears of Dnipro fans, this isn’t great viewing for those monitoring the whizkids that many are tipping for future greatness currently playing for the club.
Buletsa has been off the boil since the end of August, Supryaha has been inconsistent whilst Nazarenko has failed to have too much of a glaring impact thus far. Kohut has chipped in with a few goals but even he has been undercooked. The defence is leaking goals aplenty and it looks like Mykhaylenko is struggling for solutions. The defeat to Olimpik last week would have been a killer blow for morale and it’s tough to see them matching their opponents as well as they did back in July.
Zorya come into this game looking impressive and dangerous. Skripnyk seems to have instilled the vision for his team rather well with all the players knowing their worth and pulling their weight. They will be disappointed with their penalty shoot out defeat to Oleksandriya in the cup but it shouldn’t dampen hopes too much.
Bohdan Lednev, is undoubtably the side’s main man at the moment, orchestrating attacks and chipping in goals on top. He proved this influence with a man of the match performance last week, assisting two and scoring a Messi like finish in the demolition of Vorskla. His link up play with Rusyn looks telepathic and bodes well for the future at Dynamo (both players are on loan from the club).
It wouldn’t be surprising to see both players contribute in this week’s game. It will be interesting to see whether Zorya can build a run up as they’re currently rather inconsistent with following up big results with another and another in a row.
Fortunately they’re coming up against Dnipro-1 so it may not be a better time to get a run going. 0-3
Oleksandriya v Mariupol
Oleksandriya ended Shakhtar’s 100% run last time round thanks to a resolute display from the defence and Yuri Pankiv in goal!
The result bodes well for the side as they look to replicate last season’s rise to third in the table. Even more so it showed that Europa League hangovers can be cured and that you can motivate your side to do it twice in one week.
With European football returning again on Thursday, Oleksandriya will be wanting to break their run of draws. Albeit all the results have been impressive including the Cup result with Zorya, but they need to start accumulating more points.
They face a recently resurgent Mariupol who have rediscovered their own abilities to control games and grind out wins (albeit in sometimes, controversial circumstances). They’re laying a big claim of securing another top six finish if they continue in such a manner. That being said, the sides Mariupol have beaten are those struggling and have been at home.
In terms of goals, this game doesn’t promise too much. Neither club have prolific forwards but they do find the odd goal on a consistent basis regardless of where that may come from on the pitch.
It’s a difficult one to call but this could easily end all level once again. 1-1
Dynamo Kyiv v Lviv
It has been another whirlwind week for Dynamo. Having drawn against a mediocre Karpaty last time out thanks to an own goal, expectations weren’t exactly high going into the cup tie Clasico. However, Dynamo did manage to turn it on against their arch rivals and left many questioning; why can’t they play like this every week?
This being said, Shakhtar looked considerably under par and slightly less motivated to get the job done whilst Dynamo were desperate to get themselves the win. This desperation and determination is something that seems to be have been missing from performances elsewhere.
Dynamo only drew 1-1 in normal time thanks to the conceding of a goal in added time. So once again the fact they don’t have a prolific goalscorer is a major negative in this current side.
Yes, they should still beat teams like Lviv with ease as midfielders can contribute to the goalscoring burden but it’s still a concern when it comes to the big games.
Lviv are bottom of the table and even lost to second tier Minaj in the Cup in midweek. This led to Volodymyr Mazyar, a mere couple of months into the job, to be sacked and replaced by his assistant, Egishe Melikyan!
The former Stal Kamianske coach doesn’t have that much experience when it comes to coaching senior sides and it will be a baptism of fire when it comes to Sunday at the Olympiyskyi.
Dynamo will have one eye on the Europa League but they will also be wary that they need to keep apace with Shakhtar. Lviv really are poor and even with a new manager bounce, Dynamo should have just about enough to get he victory. 2-0
Kolos Kovalivka v Olimpik Donetsk
The final game of the weekend sees a match up of diverging trajectories.
Kolos showed so much promise in the opening weeks of the season before plateauing and it seems they may be slowly moving towards a relegation battle.
Meanwhile the visitors are on the way up! Olimpik have finally clicked under new coach Gomez in recent games and have started to play more as a cohesive team. The goals have also returned. Whilst the defence still leaves a bit to be desired, the fact they still have the ability to outscore opponents shows they’re on the right path. Teixera has been on fire in recent games!
Kolos seem to be a prime candidate to be yet another scalp of Olimpik, having beaten fellow strugglers Dnipro-1 and Lviv in recent weeks.
Kolos just seemed to have lost all creativity when it comes to their attack of late and the fact that they also lack a striker doesn’t help matters. It won’t be the most entertaining of games but indications swing towards an away win.
However, as is with football, form can be rather inconsistent the lower down a table you go and Ruslan Kostyshyn will want to get back on track in front of a home crowd. A draw of any kind would not be surprising in this respect. 1-1
Most children will be excited for tomorrow’s festivities but the MAIN event of this week takes place of Halloween Eve!
The Ukrainian Cup reawakens as the big clubs finally enter the fray.
Current holders Shakhtar, Dynamo, Zorya, Desna, Kolos and Vorskla all enter at this stage and the draw has conjured up some seriously intriguing fixtures!
The tie of the round, sees the two ‘favourites’ for the trophy meet at the (their) first hurdle!
Dynamo Kyiv host Shakhtar Donetsk in what will be the sides’ third meeting already this season. The weather and atmosphere for Dynamo’s game against Karpaty on the weekend was likely more apt for the occasion; with fog descending all around the Olympiyskyi.
However, with that game ending rather disappointingly and the fact that Kyiv sit ten points behind their arch rivals in the table, this game looks to be a potential precursor for resurrecting a somewhat already ‘dead’ domestic season.
Many will tip the victors of this fixture to march on take the silverware next Spring. After experimenting with a new look line up that quickly reverted to the standard personnel after half time, Mykhaylychenko looks to be clutching at straws when it comes to injecting anything new. Rather it’s Dynamo’s loan players elsewhere who seem to be flourishing!
Nevertheless, Shakhtar know that this is likely to also be their most difficult game in the competition so they won’t come to spectate. Both sides should be expected to field full strength teams, Shakhtar allowed to with the league so comfortable whilst Dynamo out of necessity. The only question left is what IS Dynamo’s strongest line up and does Mykhaylychenko know what it is?
Elsewhere there are a number of other Cup ties that are sure to also catch the eye. Out of the eight matches, SEVEN will be televised or streamed on YouTube!
The secondary game that catches the eye is that of Oleksandriya welcoming Zorya to town! Be it not for the two teams in the former match, these two would be good dark horses to back. Oleksandriya has the most impressive defence outside of Shakhtar whilst Zorya has the most exciting attack.
As with Dynamo, this seems to be both teams’ main chance of filling the trophy cabinet, so it will be expected that that they will give a good go. Pankiv against Rusyn and Lednev is going to be quite the spectacle! The game is available to watch live on the Oleksandriya YouTube channel!
Other games taking place feature Olimpik, who are on a rich vein of form in the league travel back to their home oblast as they take on Mariupol. The game is live on Futbol 2.
Former Karpaty duo, Mykhaylo Kopolovets and Vasyl Kobin’s FC Minaj are at home to Lviv. The player-coach – manager pairing will be aiming to put more misery on Lviv’s awful start to the season. The game is live on the Uzhnet Plus TV YouTube channel.
Kolos will be wanting to put their recent run of defeats behind them as they host a side in an even worst state of affairs – Vorskla . A win for either side would help get back a bit of confidence lost in the league. This match up is live on Futbol 2.
Last year’s surprise finalists Inhulets are aiming to stage a repeat of those proceedings as they take on an out of sorts Dnipro-1. The home side have already taken a UPL scalp so far, as they dumped out Karpaty for the second time in a row.
The Persha Liha side handled the pressure well last year when facing top flight competition and have shown so far that they’re not intimidated by such a calibre of opponent. As such, Dnipro-1 should we weary as Inhulets are more than capable of pulling off a scare! The FC Inhulets YouTube channel will be broadcasting the events live!
We then travel further south, as high flying Desna visit Mykolayiv. The Chernihiv side traipse the length of the country for this one, aiming to add a cup run to their, so far, impressive league performance this season.
With Mykolayiv, underwhelming in the Persha Liha at the current moment, the tie shouldn’t be too difficult for Ryabokon’s men but as is well known in cup football; anything can happen! This is the only fixture that will not be broadcast live (according to the UAF).
It is then the turn of the lowest ranked side in the competition to aim to make more club history. Alliance Lypova Dolyna, of the Druha Liha, the last representatives of Ukraine’s third tier take on Hirnyk Sport Horishni Plavni of the Persha. If there’s ever going to a ‘cupset’ you would hope it’s in this one.
After Inhulets’ unprecedented and historic run to the final last season, Alliance can inspiration as they hope to become the first ‘third division’ team to make it to the ultimate stage! The game is live on the ‘ФК Альянс‘ YouTube channel!
After a week of European football action, the UPL restarts for its reverse cycle of fixtures…
Ukrainian football Round up!
Matchday 11 was a rather tame affair bar one high scoring game!
Shakhtar kicked us off last Friday with a 6-0 thrashing of lowly Kolos, who didn’t stand a chance in Kharkiv. Shakhtar, once again flexed its depth of talent as Castro rested a few key men ahead of the Champions League. Shakhtar made it their eleventh win out of eleven since the start of the season and remain the ONLY club in Europe with a 100% record! It looks difficult to see anyone being able to stop them domestically at this moment in time.
Onto midweek, as the Donetsk side welcomed Dinamo Zagreb to North Eastern Ukraine. In what was an entertaining and eventful match up, the score was level at 2-2 once the full time whistle went. Shakhtar can blame a rash and completely unnecessary takedown from keeper Pyatov at a corner that resulted in a needless penalty. Zagreb duly converted.
The Miners will need to improve defensively if they want to go far in this competition as on a number of occasions, they were caught sleeping and failure to pick up markers also resulted in the first goal being conceded. Shakhtar must now travel to Zagreb and aim to get a win or it may be Europa League calling!
Karpaty then ‘hosted’ Lviv in what was yet another forgettable Lion city derby. The game ended 0-0 and due to results elsewhere during the weekend, saw the visitors drop into the relegation spot! Little to no quality on show here!
Zorya then welcomed Desna. Despite seeing the visitors go ahead and looking like they would be securing another week in second place, the hosts had other ideas.
Skripnyk’s strange selection policy continued and it wasn’t until the introduction of star men Lednev and Rusyn at half time as to when the game changed in Luhansk’s favour. Lednev got the equaliser before a Yurchenko penalty inflicted Desna with their third defeat of the season. They dropped down into third.
Mariupol looked to be playing out a drab goalless draw against a once again underwhelming Dnipro-1, until former Dnipro man Fedorchuk got a nice finish to get vengeance for his former (now defunct) club. The game ended 1-0 full time.
Having seen results elsewhere, Dynamo Kyiv were ready to seize the opportunity to return to second. It wasn’t easy for them against Oleksandriya, who were rather unlucky to lose. A wonderful move started and finished by Mykolenko, ensured three points remained in the capital. Oleksandriya’s momentary lapse at the back was punished and their carelessness in finishing didn’t help either.
Following this game, Oleksandriya travelled to France to face St Etienne. Here they set up well and looked on par with their French counterparts. The atmosphere was hostile but they didn’t let it get to them even after going a goal down inside ten minutes.
They equalised shortly after thanks to an own goal and continued to threaten momentarily throughout the game. However once again the lacking of a clinical final pass and finish meant they weren’t able to get that historic first victory.
After this, Dynamo Kyiv saw Copenhagen travel to Kyiv as Benjamin Verbic started up front against his former club. He proved to be rather wasteful with his chances and was unable to truly get a hold of the game. Dynamo went down in under two minutes thanks to some seriously poor decision making from Sydorchuk and goalkeeper Bushchan.
They rallied back at the start of the second half, with Shabanov, maybe Dynamo’s most consistent player this season getting the goal from a set piece. However, following this the side just returned to being unable to string a flowing attack together with neither of the forwards able to impose themselves.
In the final UPL game of last weekend, Olimpik got their second win of the season and moved out of the relegation spot on head to head. Vorskla look to be a real crisis as they were leapfrogged by the opponents. They showed minimal ambition and just looked lost on the pitch as Gomez’s Olimpik deservedly picked up three points!
PREDICTION PREVIEW
Mariupol v Kolos Kovalivka
The return legs of the first half of the UPL begins this weekend! It’s a joust for a top six spot for at least a week as these two sides face each other for the second time this season!
Mariupol ended a poor run of form last week with a hard fought win against fellow near table rivals Dnipro-1. Albeit, the result was only 1-0, which still highlights Mariupol’s lack of consistent goalscoring prowess, but it shows they can grind out a result when required. The home advantage will play into this, with Kolos unable to rely on their usually raucous bussed in support at the Obolon Arena.
On the other hand, Kolos will be wanting to eradicate memory of their woeful double header against the league’s traditional top two with a more positive showing in this one. Despite conceding TEN goals in their past two games, Kolos should not be expected to roll over for a third game in a row. Their opponents on this occasion are certainly inferior in quality to their previous ones but equally it won’t be easy.
Kolos’ defence was seriously exploited by pacy wingers and direct attacking football, something Mariupol only have it part (the former). If Vakula returns, it should add to their attacking threat. However it’s unlikely that this game will have too many goals. Neither side has their first choice striker to call upon. However, they have been able to get the odd goal against equal to lower competition.
A draw seems the most plausible. 1-1
Zorya Luhansk v Vorskla Poltava
Harking back to a few weeks ago, when it was predicted that Zorya would have a field day against Lviv, (but ended up drawing 0-0) this fixture seems very similar prior to the game!
Zorya pulled off a seriously impressive comeback to win their first home game of the season late on against the exceeding expectations Desna and will be wanting to turn this result into a positive domestic run. Second place is not too far away and a few consistent performances and subsequent slip ups from rivals could see them return to a position of seasons’ gone by.
However, victory will be dependant on the line up that Viktor Skripnyk goes for. With Bohdan Lednev and Nazariy Rusyn coming off the bench last time out and completely changing the game, as they have done on more than one occasion this season, surely they will both warrant a starting place in this one.
Vorskla on the other hand seem to be in free hall. They look a shell of the side that once were once one of the most organised and well drilled sides in the league. Their football was never attractive, always grinding out results in rather ugly, route one fashion but they were consistent and resilient.
Now the side seems to be suffering from a mix of bad circumstances and personnel at its disposal – Inexperienced youngsters and flagging veterans.
The retirees just don’t have the energy or ability to keep up with the higher quality opponents they face on a weekly basis, whilst the youth are unable to learn on the job as they’re constantly called upon to firefight or are just isolated out of the game.
The side’s main problem, a lack of goals from anywhere on the pitch is now being highlighted on an elevated level due to the fact that there’s a crisis unfolding at the back.
With rumours of the owner having issues with banks and unpaid wages circulating too, Vorskla could be at the top of a slippery slope!
Zorya have failed to deliver when facing out of form opposition in the past but now that they have got their first home win under their belts, they are likely to push on and start challenging Dynamo.
It will be comfortable. 3-0
Olimpik Donetsk v Dnipro-1
Olimpik have been gradually improving ever since the appointment of Gomez as manager. Whilst they have experienced a number of defeats under his reign, the performances seem to be improving, especially in the past two matches.
The victory over Vorskla was fairly straightforward as their opponents were legitimately lacking in both grit and ability. But the result, which moved them out of the relegation spot will give confidence for their upcoming fixture against another side on the decline.
Dnipro-1 have been largely underwhelming in their debut season in the UPL. Despite having a number of exciting youngsters in their ranks, none of them have really exploded onto the scene as of yet. Buletsa has not been starting, whilst stalwarts in their winning Persha Liha campaign such as Nazarenko and Kohut have been inconsistent.
Dnipro-1’s main problem of late has been their lack of chance creation. Their last three fixtures have seen them lose rather narrowly, showing that they can be compact and organised on occasion but going forward there has seemed to be nothing. It’s all rather strange after a rather promising start to the season from the players formerly mentioned.
Supryaha seems isolated whilst the wingers don’t seem to be pushing on with any purpose or direction. Nonetheless, this game is a must win for them if they want to maintain distance between themselves and relegation.
This game really could go either way. Dnipro-1 will finally break their goal duct of recent matches but it won’t be enough for all three points. 1-1
Lviv v Desna Chernihiv
This fixture would have been much harder to call last season. Despite Desna losing the reverse fixture in the season opener, both sides have faced divergent paths in the 10 games since.
Desna dusted themselves off and coach Ryabokon has instilled a functional playing style that sees fluidity between attack and defence. Lviv are in a real state at the moment, with their Brazilians failing to bring the influence that they did so last season. A consistent goalscorer like Bruno Duarte looks to be the primary negative as the side hasn’t really shipped too many goals, but has seriously struggled to score them.
Desna will be ready to pounce on this with a rather strong squad. Club top scorer Fillipov missed last week due to a shoulder injury but may return for this one. Either way it looks like Desna will be out for revenge after that opening day defeat. Lviv need to weary of Kalitvinstev and Favorov in Chernihiv’s attack and maybe then, they can settle for a draw.
It won’t be plain sailing for the visitors but they will get the job done. 0-2
Dynamo Kyiv v Karpaty Lviv
These two sides have historic ties between supporters. There has always been a sense of brotherhood off the pitch. However at this current moment in time, it looks like they may have a fair bit in common on it, as well.
Despite Dynamo sitting in second place in the UPL, they’re nowhere near Shakhtar. Equally their performances are rarely anything to get excited about and at times this season they have been incredibly fortunate to get wins on the board.
Since Mykhaylychenko has returned as manager, not too much has changed in terms of playing style. It’s very much the same tactics and the players seem to be unable to string a contingent attack together without just hoofing it in from one of the wings. It’s very one dimensional.
Karpaty on the other hand are in serious plight. They’ve been below par all season but have significantly dropped off in quality since Roman Sanzhar’s appointment. Last week’s derby draw was another example of lack of inspiration in attack and the inability to create any meaningful chances.
It’s looking to be another long and difficult season for the Green and Whites. Either way, this looks to be a game where Dynamo brush themselves down after a disappointing midweek and see Tsyhankov get a brace before crawling back into this uncharacteristic shell. 2-0
Shakhtar Donetsk v Oleksandriya
Both sides return from picking up draws in Europe but it looks to be only one that may suffer from a hangover.
Oleksandriya seemed to leave everything on the pitch on Thursday as they battled to a superb 1-1 draw against St Etienne. However, with emotions and motivations high for such an occasion, it may prove difficult for Sharan to get his men as ready to face the most inform side in domestic European competition!
Shakhtar are on an eleven match winning streak, having not dropped any points in the league so far this season. They will be confident going into this game that they can make it twelve. They had a mixed game against Dinamo Zagreb in midweek but the UCL is a ‘whole different ballgame.’ It just looks nailed on that the Miners will pull out a victory once more, at home for that matter, no matter the team they line up with.
They may have one eye on their midweek cup tie with Dynamo but even still they have the strength in depth to play a whole host of top class players.
It won’t be as easy as last week for them but they should get this over the line with ease anyway. 3-0
Dynamo return to European action for the first time since their underwhelming 0-0 draw against lowly Lugano, with a match up against their second Scandinavian opponents of the season.
In what has been a rather disappointing UEL campaign so far, in terms of performances, Dynamo will be looking to show a signal of intent as they face the side most likely to challenge them for top spot!
Despite that ‘blip’ against Lugano last time out, Mykhaylychenko seems to have sorted out his defence and they now boast a record of six consecutive clean sheets, without their first team goalkeeper featuring in the majority of them.
Shabanov and Kadar have impressed, whilst U20 World Cup winner Denys Popov finally got his first start of the season partnering the former on the weekend against Olexandria. Meanwhile, Kedziora and Mykolenko have also caught the eye from the fullback positions, with many tipping that Mykolenko will be on his way to a top European league by next summer.
However, for all of Dynamo’s defensive successes this season, the one dimensional nature of their attack and their lack of fluidity in midfield still prevails. Scoring goals against half formidable opposition remains a real struggle.
The forward burden has been thrust upon all three of Kyiv’s striking options and not one has made a case for being first choice (through no fault of their own in some circumstances). The recruitment of recent seasons has been and continues to be laid bare.
Meanwhile Benjamin Verbic plays against his former club for the first time since signing for Dynamo almost two years ago. However it’s uncertain whether the winger will even start with Carlos De Pena being one of the sole consistent performers for the club this season. On the other wing, Tsyhankov remains below his best raising questions as to whether he has what it takes to be a real leader in this side.
Copenhagen seem to be faring similarly to their Ukrainian counterparts. They sit second in the league and were runners up last season too. They too seem to struggle to find the net in their bigger games and as such, a low scoring game would not be surprising. Dynamo should have the edge if not only based on Copenhagen’s European away form, having scored just one goal in 4 UEL away games. Whilst the hosts have failed to score more than one goal in their last five.
Either way, it’s a big evening for Dynamo who need to get a result to push on with taking a grip of this group that they were expected to win with relative ease. 1-0 is inevitable right?
It’s Matchday 3 in the Europa League as UPL bronze medalists Olexandria visit St. Etienne in central France.
After picking up their debut point in European group competition against Gent in Matchday 2, Volodymyr Sharan’s men will be going into this game feeling motivated.
In St Etienne, they face another big club side that has fallen by the wayside in recent seasons. Claude Puel was appointed manager shortly before the previous European gameweek and has got off to a perfect start with two wins in the league, including one against arch rivals Lyon in his first game in charge.
Both of these games have been won by a goal to nil as it seems the implementation of Puel’s boring tactics and style of play. It will be interesting to see how Olexandria fare against a side that plays so similarly to themselves but with inferior quality (on paper at least) at their disposal.
Sharan, once again has a fully fit squad to choose from and is likely to opt for a similar line up that drew with Gent. That side did cause the Gent back line problems with wingers Tretyakov and Luchkevych impressing, with Kovalets also influential playing in the free roam attacking midfield role.
As long as Olexandria keep disciplined at the back as they are drilled to do under their coach, this should be another low scoring game. Whether St Etienne have the quality in the final third will have to be seen, with their top scorer Hamouma only having 3 goals to his name. The French side also sit 10th in Ligue 1, but are just three points off third, so that may be slightly deceiving.
Nevertheless, Olexandria were seriously unlucky to lose against Dynamo Kyiv on the weekend, failing to pick up a full back steaming into the box who got on the end of a cross. Other than that they had a few of their own chances and were resolute at neutralising Dynamo’s advances.
St Etienne look to be the most organised side defensively that Olexandria have faced in the group, but also the weakest going forward. It will be interesting to see how the visitors cope with this. They have nothing to lose either way and a positive result will only help boost their chances of making an unprecedented charge for the knockout stages!
It’s Matchday 3 in the Champions League as once again all attention centres on Group C!
Shakhtar have the chance to pull away in second place with the first of two consecutive European ties against Dinamo Zagreb!
The Croatian side visit Kharkiv where both sides know that a victory will give them the edge over the other. Level on three points apiece after two games, the next two fixtures look to be the battle for second place with bottom side, Atalanta facing group favourites Man City elsewhere.
Shakhtar have a full strength squad to choose from with Ismaily included after missing the most recent game. Once again, Luis Castro is comfortable enough to make just one forward; the inform Moraes with his broad midfield choice supplementing him.
As has been a normal occurrence under Castro since the UCL campaign began, a number of players were rested on the weekend, as Shakhtar still managed to demolish Kolos 6-0. However, tonight’s task will be a very different story.
This Dinamo Zagreb side should not be underestimated as they have already shown in this campaign, seeing off debutants Atalanta 4-0 in the opening round of fixtures. Despite this, Dinamo’s record against Ukrainian opposition is not the most formidable.
They have failed to beat Ukrainian rivals in ten European games and have an even worse group stage away record overall, having lost their past 13 games away from the Maksimir.
The balance in Shakhtar’s team leaves them in good stead, with quality and discipline across the pitch. Kryvstov and Matvienko has shown they can do it against the likes of Ronaldo whilst Moraes has 12 goals in 13 games and a knack for scoring in big games.
Regardless of preparations, Shakhtar will be looking to take advantage of the fixture list by beating Dinamo in consecutive games and all but securing knockout football, granting that City also win their own games. Ukrainian coefficient should be getting some positive movement over the next month as a result.
Meanwhile, in the other game in Group C; Ukraine’s two midfield maestro’s go head to head at the Etihad. Malinovksyi seems to be in the form of his life after the recent international break rewarding him with a start for Atalanta on the weekend. The media were seriously impressed with his performance against Lazio.
However, City’s Zinchenko has not been experiencing the best of times at his club of late. He was missing from the squad that visited Palace on Sunday and has not started for a number of games. Is he falling out of favour with Pep or was he just being rested for tonight?
It has been a historic and monumental past fortnight in the Ukrainian footballing world!
In case you missed it (where have you been if you have?!) Ukraine are going to EURO 2020! The Zbirna confirmed their qualification status after beating Lithuania and current European Champions Portugal. Simultaneously they also won their Group in the process. A singular point is needed in the final game against Serbia next month to guarantee a top seed ranking in the final tournament draw!
Ukraine’s performances were breathtaking. Contrary to Western media reports, who seemed to have only watched highlights of the game, Ukraine played some beautiful fluid football as the entire team carried the heavy expectations of an entire nation!
Under Shevchenko and his coaching team, this new look, balanced Ukraine team have the potential to write themselves further into history as Ukraine’s greatest ever if they put on a good show across Europe next summer!
Zinchenko, Malinovksyi and Stepanenko are arguably the best midfield trio (collectively) that Ukraine has ever had, with the former two starting the majority of attacks, no longer needing to heavily rely on the wings as in previous generations. Both also contribute with key goals when called upon; most notably when Malinovksyi’s double ensured a comfortable win over Lithuania last Friday.
Meanwhile, Stepanenko sits in front of the defence, helping them out by stifling attacks and feeding his midfield partners; he seems akin to a Ukrainian Fernandinho and it’s no wonder that he has been recently linked with a move to the Premier League.
Yarmolenko looks to have adapted his game to no longer rely on his pace. He uses the overlap with his side’s full back to move the ball down the outside right channel. He also drifts in centrally on occasion to help out those attacks that originate in the middle.
On the other wing, you have Marlos or Konoplyanka. It’s still not certain as to who will deputise next year but recently it’s looked to be Marlos who plays a lot more centrally over. In fact he was in a false nine role according to Yaremchuk whilst the Gent striker was instructed to play more out on the left.
Yaremchuk, once more stepped up to the plate and got himself a goal using his predatory instincts. It finally looks like Ukraine has a forward that can actually finish when called upon.
Moving back to the defence. Mykolenko had another game to remember against Portugal as he stifled their right side and provided a vital assist for Yarmolenko to finish superbly. The Dynamo man also has an equally capable understudy in that of Eduard Sobol, who has also impressed in his appearances.
On the right side, Karavayev showed his best ability after a less than satisfactory start to his career at Dynamo. He reassured onlookers with a confident performance, one that complimented Yarmolenko down that right channel, and he didn’t make any rash decisions in or around the box. A return to his Zorya Luhansk form – long may it continue! Bolbat, his alternative, whilst not as defensively sound as Karavayev has shown he can also put in an assured shift when called upon!
In the heart of defence, Shevchenko has finally found a solid partnership after the self inflicted exile of Rakitskyi and the decline of Khacheridi. Shakhtar team mates Matvienko and Kryvstov, boosted by their regular playing time alongside each other at their club has instilled calm and reassurance at the back for Ukraine.
They shield the impressive Pyatov who seems to be going from strength to strength for the national team whilst still pulling off the occasional howlers for his club side. He’s closing in on 100 caps and some are arguing that he could be remembered as Ukraine’s greatest keeper (even emulating Shovkovskyi) should he be pivotal in next year’s final competition!
As already mentioned, Ukraine are assured of first place in the group with a game left to play! It’s the first time in their history that they have qualified in first place for the Euros! If they get at least a point against Serbia they will be top seeds!
UPL Matchday 10 recap:
Shakhtar maintained their runaway lead at the top with their 100% record continuing. They beat Dnipro-1 by 2 goals to nil.
Desna beat Olimpik 1-0 thanks to a late goal to stay in second on head to head as Dynamo also won to keep up the pace. They thrashed Kolos 4-0 at the Obolon Arena.
Oleksandriya bested a poor Karpaty 2-1 to also remain within a point of the chasing pack. Zorya were unable to follow up their high goalscoring form as they drew a blank in a full 0-0 draw with the poor Lviv. Elsewhere Vorskla got a point as they hosted Mariupol. That game ended 1-1!
A big fixture list awaits this week, as does European fixtures featuring the three Ukrainian representatives:
Shakhtar v Dinamo Zagreb
Dynamo v Copenhagen
St Etienne v Oleksandriya
PREDICTION TIME
Shakhtar Donetsk v Kolos Kovalivka
Shakhtar restart the UPL action after the international break in high stead. A whole host of their squad played a large part in Ukraine’s qualification for Euro 2020. If they can do it against the European Champions then they can certainly do it against the recently promoted village side Kolos.
It’s uncertain what sort of side Castro will play in this one, with the Friday kick off giving the Miners extra resting time ahead of their UCL fixture against Dinamo Zagreb. However going on data from previous pre European, league games, we can expect some youngsters and substitutes deputising. The likes of Konoplyanka, Dentinho and Bondar could feature as Shakhtar go for an eleventh straight domestic win.
Ruslan Kostyshyn has already revealed his game plan for Kharkiv. We will have eleven men behind the ball and will aim to shut Shakhtar out, whilst pouncing on the break. Their last outing, saw them hammered against a mediocre Dynamo, and as such, their chances against an actual high quality side seem even lower.
This is likely to see another big final result. 4-0
Karpaty Lviv v Lviv
This is without doubt the Game of the Weekend! It’s a pleasant change to give extra focus on a tie featuring teams that are neither from Kyiv or Donetsk.
Roman Sanzhar’s team are in woeful form. The Ultras are seriously unhappy and it seems the early season promise (despite a number of defeats under Chyzhevsky) is all but a distant memory. Goals are seeming harder to come by whilst the defence doesn’t look anywhere near as solid and organised as it was at the manager’s previous club Olimpik.
The bright sparks seem to be their Luxembourgish contingent but that says it all about how far Karpaty have fallen in just under a decade.
Lviv are in a similar state, but actually worse off. Rumours are circulating that the club could be wound up and folded during the winter break and if not, then next summer. Their Brazilian cohort has been nowhere near as influential as it was last season and their Ukrainian defensive line has seemed to have forgotten how to do their jobs.
Mazyar’s appointment has actually added next to nothing to this and as a result it doesn’t look too great for this side. Olimpik Donetsk are biting at their legs in the table and it could get ugly in just a few more Matchdays.
This game is going to be more remembered for the Karpaty Ultra displays off the pitch rather than any performances on it. Hostility against ‘FC Shit’ as the Banderstadt calls their opponents is extremely high. However, it still seems difficult to envisage that pyro and smoke will help rally players to turn up and play well. Karpaty to nick it. Just! 1-0
Zorya Luhansk v Desna Chernihiv
On any other week, you could have tipped this game to nick the ‘Game of the Week’ but alas it does not.
This could prove to be a seriously entertaining match up against two of the league’s top clubs. However, it should be noted that Zorya only managed to record an underwhelming 0-0 draw with second worst side in the league, Lviv before the break. Whilst Lviv were evidently with their backs against the wall, it showcases that the Luhansk side’s inconsistency is in part down to the youthful nature of the squad.
Desna on the other hand continue to go from strength to strength. They also struggled against bottom side Olimpik but were able to get the winner regardless of how late it came. This game will be tight, the forwards are likely to be frustrated with both sides having rather resolute defences. Not too much looks to separate these sides on paper. Low scoring draw wouldn’t be a surprise. 1-1
Mariupol v Dnipro-1
Seventh place visits Eighth in a game between two clubs who have been rather average this season. They haven’t pulled up any trees but certainly look like they won’t be battling with the depths of relegation until at least after Christmas.
Dnipro-1 had the dreaded double header against the traditional top two in their previous fixtures and as such are on. Poor streak. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem as the remainder of the league are where the real points are to be won.
However, the way Dnipro-1 have looked so lacklustre at creating chances, could be a signal of worrying times ahead. Buletsa has been out of the team of late but scored a brace in a friendly during the break. He’s likely to return to the team and will aim to try and inject some creativity into a machine that seems out of ideas.
On the other hand, Mariupol continue to trundle along by picking up draws against the likes of Vorskla. It remains a struggle to see them retain a top six spot just based on the fact that their attack is so underwhelming due to the false nine formation they play. Goals are very difficult to come by. This might change once Fomin returns but even still, it seems defensively is where Mariupol’s games will be lost or won. Khudzhamov in goal has been key to these performances at the back and will be aiming to stifle Dnipro-1 this week. 0-1
Dynamo Kyiv v Oleksandriya
It’s a battle between 3rd and 4th as Oleksandriya are welcomed to the Ukrainian capital.
In an international week where only a select few Dynamo players represented Ukraine, it will be interesting to see whether Mykhaylychenko has conjured up anything new to try and root Dynamo out of their recent mediocrity. It’s all well and good to beat lowly Kolos by a few goals but this counts for nothing when you end up losing or drawing elsewhere in the league or in Europe.
Consistency has been difficult to maintain and Oleksandriya will cause Dynamo’s defence problems. Denys Boyko is now out until 2020 and as such Dynamo will need to rely on Georgiy Bushchan. He should be more than capable of stepping up to the plate in goal. Up front it looks like Besiedin is on a bit of form after the coach persists in starting the forward. Sol will likely remain on the bench for eternity whilst Rodrigues’ magic early spell seems to be waring off.
Both sides will have one eye on their Europa League ties in midweek. None more so than Oleksandriya. They will want to prepare throughly for a visit to St Etienne by recording a good result against Dynamo. Similarly to last season, it looks like the battle between these two sides could persist until later into the season with just a point separating them so far. Depending on what defence starts, Oleksandriya will be difficult to breakdown.
It can be expected that this game will end rather evenly. A single goal is likely to separate these two. Really could go either way but home advantage should just push it in Dynamo’s favour. 2-1
Olimpik Donetsk v Vorskla Poltava
Olimpik are in yet another rut. They’re still not entirely doomed with Lviv just two points ahead and equally not in the best state. However, it’s games like these against relatively weak lower half quality opposition where they need to pick up points.
They will feel hard done by after conceding a late goal and subsequently losing a vital point against high flying Desna. However it is still too early to tell whether they can turn a corner after losing 5-0 to Zorya the weekly previous to that.
Vorskla picked up a last minute draw in a rather uneventful affair against Mariupol and that result summarises their recent plight. They don’t really have too much quality in attack and as such do not threaten in the final third as much as a club of their stature should.
This game looks to be another drab affair with both sides’ forward lines severely out of form. If anyone is to make a difference it would be Dieye for Olimpik but even he has been off of the boil this season. Dead rubber ahead. 0-0
ZORYA LONDONSK 