The UPL returns this weekend after a two week hiatus due to the international break. There are some big games this weekend, with Shakhtar taking on Zorya and Desna visiting Kyiv in a battle of 2nd against 5th!

Ukrainian Football Update:

Ukraine played two games during the international break and both can be deemed as positive results and performances. The first game came in Vilnius as Zbirna took on Lithuania in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Zinchenko, Malinovksyi and Marlos grabbed the goals as Ukraine won 3-0 in front a home-like crowd of 5,000 people at the LFF Stadium.

After this, they travelled to Dnipro, which hosted its first national team game for ten years. The city turned out and the stadium looked very much a sell out as Ukraine went 2-0 down in the first half. Sobol, Burda and Karavayev did not look very convincing at the back and the midfield lacked the holding stability of Stepanenko.

The game turned on its head in the second half after Konoplyanka came on to a rapturous welcome at 70 minutes. His introduction caused both the crowd to raise in spirit and gave hope to the team as well. Two quick fire goals within a minute of each other from man of the match Zinchenko and a fortunate rebound for Yaremchuk gave Ukraine a share of the spoils versus Nigeria!

They now look forward to the competitive double header in October versus Lithuania and Portugal at home!

Meanwhile in the UPL, there have been a number of managerial changes and some notable transfers!

On European Transfer Deadline Day, Shakhtar Donetsk signed Yevhen Konoplyanka for under €2 million. It was a huge surprise and will bolster the team’s chances of challenging in their Champions League Group. Concurrently, Shakhtar look to move even further ahead of their UPL rivals with the experienced winger strengthening them in the league as well.

Elsewhere, Roman Sanzhar was announced as the new Karpaty Lviv manager replace Chyzhevsky, much to the detriment of the Karpaty Ultras who were happy with the previous manager and just long for managerial stability. Bottom club Olimpik Donetsk also announced a permanent replacement to Julio Cesar, by announcing Spaniard and former Dynamo backroom staff man Vicente Gomez as their new head coach. Most recently, Lviv also decided to get themselves a new manager by appointing Volodymyr Mazyar to replace Blavatsky, who has not shown too much promise since being appointed towards the end of last season!

Many surprises await this week with so many new appointments. It’s going to be interesting in the UPL!

PREDICTOR TIME

Oleksandriya v Dnipro-1

Oleksandriya have had a mixed start to the season but return from the international break sitting fourth in the table. However as it’s so tight up until second place, they’ll need to remain compact and disciplined in order to keep up this top half position in the table.

Sharan’s men will have one eye on their debut Europa League group stage game on Thursday versus Wolfsburg and as such will want to put this game to bed early in order to give some key players a bit of a rest.

They beat narrowly beat an in form Vorskla last time out with set pieces coming into play. They face a Dnipro-1 side, who themselves are not too far off the European spots. They defeated Kolos a fortnight ago, to pick up their second win of the season.

Buletsa has been the side’s creative maestro so far this season and will be looking to cause problems for the Oleksandriya defence, who will be trying to preserve freshness for the midweek tie.

This game is relatively unpredictable with both sides able to score when it counts. A score draw seems the most reasonable assumption. 1-1

Shakhtar Donetsk v Zorya Luhansk

Our Game of the Week, sees another incarnation of the Donbas Derby take place in exile for the fifth year in a row.

It’s a battle between first and third. Arguably the two most exciting sides in the league face off with one aiming to win their first SEVEN league games in a row whilst the other hopes to move into second and push further away from Dynamo Kyiv.

Shakhtar are expected to give a debut to new signing Konoplyanka in this one who has played a mere 20 minutes (for Ukraine) of competitive football this season. So don’t expect to see him from the start. Elsewhere, Moraes picked up a knock on Ukraine duty but looks to have shaken it off as he has travelled with the side.

Meanwhile Zorya boast an extremely promising, youthful squad which also impressed over the international break. Key men, Bohdan Lednev and Nazariy Rusyn scored for the U21s versus Malta and will be looking to make an impression in this one. They have added motivations, with their parent club Dynamo Kyiv likely to be grateful for any points taken off the steamrolling Shakhtar!

Despite their 2-2 draw with Dynamo and coming back from 2-0 down in that game; Zorya’s defensive frailties are likely to be exposed a lot more versus an unforgiving Donetsk side. Shakhtar’s defence is a lot more disciplined and organised than their arch rivals and as such aren’t the type of team to give up a big lead.

It will a tight affair and a fiery one, if precious seasons are anything to go by, but one Shakhtar should just edge especially with the ‘home’ advantage. 2-0

Karpaty Lviv v Vorskla Poltava

Roman Sanzhar’s new side welcome Kosovsky’s men to Stadion Ukraina. Despite the outcry of yet another managerial change, many see the potential positives that the former Olimpik Donetsk head coach can bring. Karpaty sit second bottom but have been playing well despite results.

Sanzhar will aim to instil a solid defensive set up that concedes little but scores just enough to edge wins. During the international break, Karpaty signed Moldovan forward Alexandru Boicuc to shore up the attacking line up that hasn’t been too reliable when it has come to goals so far this season. Time will tell whether the managerial decision was correct, but as of now Karpaty fans should embrace the new appointment.

Vorskla were looking good before the international break came along. A few wins for the side and goals for Yuri Kolomoyets looked as though the side had finally found their groove. However, a loss to Oleksandriya, once again raised questions as to whether the attack can be consistently relied upon.

Despite this, they now have some stability under Kosovsky and should look to exploit this against a potentially ‘new look’ Karpaty.

This fixture has goalless written all over it and in the grand scheme of things won’t be too detrimental to either side. 0-0

Mariupol v Olimpik Donetsk

Mariupol are aiming to get into a bit of winning form after their win over Lviv last time out. They host Olimpik Donetsk who remain bottom of the table on one point from six games.

However, the visitors have a new foreign manager. During the break, the management team replaced caretaker Klimovskyi with former Dynamo Kyiv backroom staffer Vicente Gomez. He hasn’t had too much experience as the main man in charge and this could prove further detrimental to the struggling Donetsk club.

Is Gomez the man to be able to link up the disjointed defence and attack and integrate over 10 new signings into a club that currently looks to be in free fall? Only time will tell. It’s difficult to predict as to what kind of line up Gomez will pick but it’s likely to include Dieye spearheading the attack. He has not hit the heights of last season yet, but once he does get going it will be a big positive.

Mariupol are nowhere near the team that finished fourth last season. Vakula has impressed but elsewhere the team seems to have been affected by the Europa League run. Now it’s been almost a month since that exit, the club should be able to forget about it and focus solely on the league. With a host of U20 talent, some of whom made the step up to U21 in the break; Mariupol should be able to challenge for the top six. It’s games like these that they need to win to ensure they don’t end up in relegation battle.

Mariupol to come out on top in this one. 2-1

Dynamo Kyiv v Desna Chernihiv

Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko’s second Dynamo stint resumes after the international break with a game against the side second in the table – Desna!

Two draws in his opening two games have already started the jokey ‘Bring Khatskevich Back’ calls. Not much has looked to have changed under the new boss. Tsyhankov has yet to find his feet this season and the defence has been a shambles.

The transition from the back to attack doesn’t seem to have been focused on in training sessions, with the similar line ups to Khatskevich, bar that of Kadiri at defensive midfield. Shakhtar are currently in a different class, with the league’s competitiveness suffering as a result.

Desna, have taken to their second season in the UPL in style. They’ve been consistent and sit three points ahead of Dynamo. Their danger areas come from across the pitch, with players across the park contributing to to goals. Denys Favorov has been getting them from full back whilst Fillipov has been consistent up top. This is not going to be a walk in the park for Dynamo by any stretch.

Goals will be aplenty in this one. It will be entertaining but less so for a Dynamo fan. Surely, they can’t fail to win 3 games in a row. 2-1

Kolos Kovalivka v FC Lviv

The final fixture of the weekend sees Kolos take on Lviv. Kolos have been in decline in recent weeks as the league’s quality catches up with them. Meanwhile FC Lviv have been more inconsistent in their form. They’ve won a couple but also lost their most recent fixture. Another managerial change occurred here with Blavatsky being relieved of his duties and Veres manager, Mazyar taking charge. He’s quite a character and will be a welcome addition to the UPL!

It will be interesting to see how he uses the Brazilians in the teams and whether he can reinstate some of the defensive organisation that made Lviv so difficult to break down last season.

This one has another chance of being low scoring with not too much separating the sides. Brazilian magic may play a part in this one, but it won’t be enough. 1-1

TWO ALLIES GO INTO BATTLE TODAY!

It’s Matchday 5 for UKRAINE in their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign as they travel to Vilnius to face LITHUANIA!

This game is a must win for the visitors as they aim to continue their strong start to the qualifying cycle and push further away from group rivals Serbia and Portugal, who play each other tonight!

Andriy Shevchenko has a full strength squad of players to choose from bar Maryan Shved who did not travel.

It is likely that we will see Andriy Yarmolenko return and make his first start for Zbirna in 11 months after the manager has confirmed he thinks the player is ready for a full 90 minutes!

However, it’s on the other wing where Shevchenko has a bit of a selection dilemma. Does he play Konoplyanka, who hasn’t played competitive football since June from the off, or does he call on Tsyhankov, who has not had the best of starts to the season himself?

It is likely that Sheva will choose the former, based on previous selections. Regardless of who does play, Ukraine should have more than enough to beat this Lithuania side with ease!

It will also be interesting to see who Sheva goes with up front in this one. Yaremchuk and Moraes have been on hot form since the season started. Yaremchuk broke his Ukraine goal duct in the last break with 2 in 2, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him favoured in this competitive fixture. Whoever doesn’t play today, is more or less guaranteed a start in Tuesday’s friendly

Elsewhere we are likely to see Stepanenko, Zinchenko and Malinovskyi start in centre midfield. The back four is expected to be composed of Dynamo’s Mykolenko & Karavayev at full back, with Shakhtar’s Kryvstov & Matvienko in the centre! Pyatov will start in goal to complete the line up, as Ukraine chases it’s third consecutive clean sheet!

The plastic pitch may catch the players off guard at the 5,067 capacity, LFF stadium. So it will be vital for the players not to get injured on an unpredictable surface.

Although small, the stadium will be full of Ukrainians who have made the journey up from down south and across the continent! The UK contingent will be its largest in years as three generations of fans brace themselves for a Ukraine victory!

УКРАЇНО ВПЕРЕД 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Here’s our thoughts on the move of the window for Ukrainian football:

It’s a good move all round for the different parties involved.

Schalke get rid of an unfavoured player

Shakhtar get a proven international winger, who has pace, goals and assists and has history in the UPL

He adds to their quota of homegrown players and as means they have less means for naturalising more Brazilians for the same purpose

Yevhen gets to play regular football, something he has lacked for a number of years

He’s also going to get regular European football in UCL/UEL

He’ll also be on the inevitable end of silverware as Shakhtar already look to have wrapped up the league with Dynamo in crisis!

Whether Taison leaves tonight or not he is likely off in a future window.

Hence getting an ample replacement was sensible

Konoplyanka’s fee would have been relatively low as he went into the last year of his Schalke contract

Besiktas have missed out, but ultimately for the player it probably is better for him to return to Ukraine

He had some memorable games in Sevilla & Germany but ultimately wasn’t favoured by the manager’s for one reason or another

A negative for the league though looks like Shakhtar are moving even further away with such a calibre or signing once more…

Meanwhile Dynamo stagnate!

Ukrainian Football Round Up

After a fairly quiet week last time out the UPL returned to normal with six fixtures and some surprising results. It was goals galore across the league!

Vorskla kicked us off on Ukrainian Independence Day with an inspired 3-0 win away to Kolos! Full back Ihor Perduta somehow found himself in the middle of the box on two occasions and got himself a brace.

Kolos were compounded to more misery as elusive striker Yuri Kolomoyets grabbed a goal for the second consecutive game. Converted full back into wide midfielder Artur has been impressive this season since Kosovsky moved the player up the pitch!

In one of the shocks of the round, Oleksandriya were pummelled 3-0 themselves at home! Desna were the victors at the Nika, as three second half goals from Favorov, Kyzyk and Fillipov ensured Desna moved up to second in the table on goal difference!

Miroshnichenko being sent off at the start of the second half didn’t help Oleksandriya. The defender looks to be reenacting performances from his Karpaty days already!

Mykhaylychenko’s first game in charge (of his second spell) didn’t mark a distinct change from his predecessor, Khatskevich. Dynamo still looked largely disorganised and lacking in attacking game plan.

After a drab goalless first half, it was Olimpik, bottom of the league and on zero points, who opened the scoring with a nice counter attacking move. Dynamo were unable to close it down and Politylo got the first goal of the game.

Dynamo needed a bit of Viktor Tsyhankov brilliance to rescue them from embarrassment. His Yarmolenko-esque cut in and shot from the right hand side of the box flew into the far corner. Other than that, Dynamo pushed and even when Olimpik were reduced to 10 men were unable to break the side down.

A lack of clinical finishing still affects the side deeply, as Gerson pushes on for his second goal in a Dynamo shirt. To make matters worse, Verbic got sent off in the final ten minutes and will now miss a key game against second spot rivals, Zorya Luhansk this week! Improvements are needed, but it doesn’t look too promising from Mykhaylychenko’s opening game… Many fans are already expecting more of the same as the past few seasons!

In a tightly fought affair in Lviv, Zorya got themselves a narrow 1-0 win against Karpaty. Skripnyk rested a few players with his Europa League Play off in mind and Pylyp Budkivsky got his first of the season. The out of form striker will be relieved that he is finally off the mark.

Onto Zorya’s European exploits and the Luhansk side unfortunately fell at the final hurdle. They just didn’t have enough to get the better of Espanyol. After losing the first leg 3-1, there was still hope. However, when Facundo Ferrerya opened the scoring to get his 11th career goal versus Zorya, things looked all over.

Lednev equalised to momentarily spur some hope but it was short lived. Vargas put the visitors in front again before second half sub Rusyn made it 2-2. But it was ultimately too little too late. Zorya can now turn their full attention to challenging for second spot in the UPL and target a good Cup run.

Elsewhere in the league, Shakhtar hosted Mariupol. As mentioned last week, Mariupol were without a few loanees from their parent club due to contract rules. As such the usual onslaught ensued. Shakhtar spared no prisoners as they defeated their Donetsk Oblast neighbours 5-1. Tete took advantage of his start, by getting a brace before Moraes added to his season’s tally.

In the second half, Shakhtar scored a penalty through Taison before new Shakhtar signing Vakula pulled a consolation back for the Seagulls. The Azov side will keep the attacking midfielder on loan until at least the winter. Marcos Antonio then finished off a lovely move to seal the 5 star display. Routine from Shakhtar!

In the final game of the Matchday, Dnipro-1 hosted Lviv at the Dnipro Arena. They didn’t get off to the best of starts as the visitors went 2-0 up thanks to Brazilians; Renann and Pernambuco.

A 10 minute rally from Dnipro-1 then clawed the game back to 2-2. Polevoy and Kulish getting the goals with Buletsa providing another assist. However, after a few rued chances for the winner from Dnipro-1, Lviv made them pay with a last minute penalty. China made no mistake from the spot to end FC Lviv’s run of three consecutive defeats!

Champions League DRAW

Europa League DRAW

European Preview and reaction coming soon!

PREDICTION TIME

Desna Chernihiv v Karpaty Lviv

The shock of the season so far sees Desna sit second in the table. And they duly justify that position after some of the performances they have put in so far this season. The 3-0 demolition job of Oleksandriya showcased the ambition of the side from Chernihiv in their early push for a top six finish.

It should be noted that the teams below them have also played their role in Desna’s rise; namely Dynamo and Zorya dropping points against sides other than Shakhtar.

However, Desna still are a formidable side. They have goal outlets across the pitch from full back Denys Favorov who already has 3 to his name as does forward Fillipov. They’re not missing the contributions of Bezborodko, who moved to last week’s scalps.

Karpaty, on the other hand have had a strange past week. One of their summer signings, Prce, has already left the club. No real indication as to why. Another, veteran centre back Kucher, broke his leg in training.

Despite this, the look of Karpaty’s set up and recent performances have been showing serious positives. They may have narrowly lost to Zorya but they’re showing enough to indicate that they should put in performances against sides who are closer to their level.

This one is hard to call but based on recent results and the home advantage; Desna should look to add to their impressive points tally. Karpaty not keel over too easily though. 2-1

Dnipro-1 v Kolos Kovalivka

Both of these sides had serious capitulations last time out. Dnipro-1’s hard comeback work was undone by a late penalty but it was their performance for the first 50 minutes that they should really blame for the defeat.

As for Kovalivka, they were played off the park by a resurgent Vorskla but that should still not be an excuse for their defence’s inability to deal with cutbacks and crosses. That defeat could be a psychologically demoralising one. No goals in two games can manifest relatively easily when the strike force is not of the highest calibre. Kolos could struggle in Dnipro.

Meanwhile Dnipro-1 have certainly shown that they are capable of scoring goals but just unable to see out victories. They face Kolos at a perfect time with the visitors leaking goals in recent games and not showing much upfront. 2-0

Vorskla Poltava v Oleksandriya

Vorskla decided to turn on the heat last week as they continued their UPL resurgence. Artur, who was playing full back last season has been moved higher up the wing and has excelled in his new attacking responsibilities. Manager, Kosovsky seems to have sorted out how he wants his side to play. They’re no longer the nailed on goalless draw bet.

Even Kolomoyets is scoring goals! Having scored just 2 all of last season, the striker has repaid his manager’s faith in the continued starting opportunities; he’s now matched last season’s tally inside 5 games and scored in consecutive games!He’s well and truly back to form. if he can get a third this weekend.

Oleksandriya experienced quite the opposite. Their battering by Desna, will require Sharan to analyse his side’s defensive weaknesses ahead of their Europa League campaign. He’ll be hoping it was just an off day, with Oleksandriya’s form struggling to match that of last season’s comfortable third place finish.

With both sides’ performances this year somewhat unpredictable and the fact that this fixture hasn’t seen a draw since 2016, we can see a deadlock. It certainly won’t be goalless. 2-2

FC Lviv v Mariupol

Lviv pulled it out of the bag last week to end their run of consecutive losses. Their Brazilian attack looked impressive and Pernambuco will certainly get himself a few goals this season, adding to the 2 he’s already got.

However, Lviv’s defence has been on the wain. After an impressive display during the first half of last season, it’s been letting them in far too frequently since then. Outscoring their opponents is the current tactic by the looks of it. Against the weaker defences in the league it will certainly put them in good stead.

Mariupol, on the other hand, are currently in their own rut of three consecutive losses. Despite this, it should be noted that a full strength Mariupol side hasn’t played together since their defeat at the hands of AZ, a fortnight and a half ago.

Since then, their game with Dynamo was postponed, so the players enjoyed a rest before last week’s fixture with Shakhtar meant that all parent club loanees had to sit out.

Hence, after the humiliation of two heavy drubbings and the return of the young and hungry Shakhtar loanees, Mariupol should be raring to go. They’re last point came in Lviv against Karpaty so they will take those omens with them too.

Vakula was the lone bright spark against Shakhtar, his new employers and he will remain the key man for Mariupol whilst he stays on loan until at least the winter break.

Lviv’s performances scream of inconsistency and as such could get unstuck against Mariupol who look to return to winning ways. They’ll do the job… just! 1-2

Olimpik Donetsk v Shakhtar Donetsk

It’s the Donetsk derby being played in Kyiv! This rivalry has never really lived up to the name largely due to the sheer differences in quality between the two sides. This season is no different and you could even go as far as stating that Olimpik are at their worst since gaining promotion to the UPL 5 seasons ago.

The draw against Dynamo showed a new manager bounce, as the players showcased better organisation across the field. If it wasn’t for a Tsyhankov world, the game may have ended in Olimpik’s favour. However, rather than such a victory being solely down to Olimpik’s performance, it was largely a result of Dynamo’s own failure to get into the game with drab Khatskevich era tactics (or for a better phrase; the lack of them!)

Shakhtar are fresh off of their fifth consecutive win in the league and full of excitement for some competitive football, in the form of the Champions League, which is around the corner. They know how to finish off sides other than Dynamo with ease and are likely to face no serious problems in doing so once more.

Mariupol were battered 5-1 last week and a similar scoreline here would not be a surprise in the slightest. Moraes to further his claim on the retaining of the golden boot, all the while Brazilian youngsters such as Marcos Antonio and Tete will also be wanting a piece of the action. Slight defensive improvements to be seen again by Olimpik. But it won’t be enough. 0-4

Zorya Luhansk v Dynamo Kyiv

Now it’s time for the MAIN EVENT of Matchday 6!

Fresh from another season’s Europa League play off heartbreak, Zorya welcome Dynamo Kyiv to the Slavutych. Both of their midweek scorers and brightest sparks in the league, Lednev and Rusyn are inelligble to play against their parent club.

This will be a real blow for the Luhansk side as they have relied on their goals and creativity in excessive amounts so far this season. whilst Budkivksy can get the odd tap in here and there, against the likes of Karpaty; Dynamo, even in their current state, are a different animal.

Dynamo were extremely flat last week and were surprisingly kept at bay by Olimpik, without too many overtly dangerous chances occurring. Mykhaylychenko’s Dynamo looked strangely similar to that of Khatkevich’s; Clueless in possession, caught on the break and conceding, relying on individual spouts of brilliance to save the day. Yes, it is still early days but that start against a club with zero wins and points doesn’t bode well for fixtures against top 3 chasing sides.

Now that Zorya’s quick flirt with European football is over, they can look toward challenging Dynamo for that silver medal. Without a midweek distraction and travel debacles come the autumn, this could become an interesting league match up.

Even at this early stage in the season, with Dynamo having dropped 4 points so far, losing any more can see them slip further away from the title and be at risk of dropping down further if Zorya get their act together.

Encounters between these two sides always ends up being a memorable affair and this week is unlikely to be an exception. Dynamo will be desperate to get a win under their belt, as they come up to 6 games without one; whilst Zorya will be dusting themselves down after their Espanyol disappointment. Neither sides defences have been coherent of late, so goals should be guaranteed right?

Wrong…

A lack of goals in this Dynamo side still seems to be a real problem, with Gerson yet to add to his tally of one and usual contributors Verbic and Tsyhakov not really hitting top gear yet. Verbic is even suspended for this game so there’s another outlet out of the way.

The defences and keepers will be the key men in this one. The two sides’ back fives need to improve with immediate effect, if they’re to attempt to get even close to Shakhtar at the pinnacle.

Similarly, Zorya have had defensive problems of late and compounded by this, the loan rules mean they’re without arguably two of their best players this season.

I see there being hype around this game and on paper, it is most certainly the game of the week. However, if we’ve ever seen a game with so much hope, we know this is ending in a draw. Goalless. 0-0

Zorya are in action tonight in a monumental second leg Europa League play off tie against Espanyol! They trail 3-1 on aggregate and many have written Viktor Skripnyk’s side off, deeming a two goal swing too much to overcome!

Last week’s result and second half performance in particular were extremely disappointing. After keeping Espanyol at bay and scoring a wonderfully crafted goal in the first half, the Luhansk side collapsed in the second and had Shevchenko in goal to thank for not conceding more.

In the unpredictable world of football, it can certainly be said that the tie isn’t over yet with Barcelona and Liverpool showing us that any scoreline can inspire a comeback. Viktor Skripnyk certainly employs this mentality himself, as he too has remained calm and collected. ‘We still have a full 90 minutes to play.’

And with Zorya’s away goal and a full house expected in Zaporizhya tonight, the boys should have perfect conditions to take Espanyol to the sword! Of course, the defence will need to play markedly better than they did last time out, but improvements were there to be seen v Karpaty on the weekend (granted weaker opposition).

Hromov, Lednev, Kocherhin and the rest of the attack will need to be at their clinical best, with the two goal deficit. Changes are expected from the manager, but where exactly is not clear due to Skripnyk’s unpredictable fashion.

Leave it all on the field tonight!

M

Ukrainian Football Round Up

The past week has been rather subdued in the world of Ukrainian football. After the whirlwind that ensued in the previous with Dynamo’s management news, there wasn’t anywhere near as much off the pitch drama!

However, we DID see another one bite the dust in the UPL managerial rat race. Unsurprisingly, Julio Cesar became the second head coach to lose his job so far this season.

Mirroring Frank De Boer’s stint in charge of Crystal Palace two years ago, Olimpik had seen enough after the accumulation of ZERO points from four games. This action was always a question of when rather than if, even before the season had started.

Nobody has quite been able to match the continuity and stability that Roman Sanzhar brought to the role. So much so, that the former manager is seen as back up, should the club not be successful in luring in other targets.

Julio Cesar’s relieving of duties came after a 3-1 home loss to Karpaty Lviv; relegation rivals of last season! Karpaty played well once they settled into the game. Many Karpaty fans were signalling the fact that it was from this moment, four games in, that the season has well and truly begun!

Olimpik’s Fabinho got himself a red after 24 minutes. The challenge resulted in a penalty, which Nesterov duly had saved. However, he made no mistakes with the rebound. Politylo managed to score a penalty to reduce the lead but it wasn’t enough as Nesterov grabbed his second to make it 3-1. Karpaty avenged their collapse from the same scoreline in this tie at the end of last season.

Vorskla and Dnipro-1 drew their second consecutive games as they played out a drab 1-1. In a much changed line up for the visitors, seeing many of their promising forward line missing; Dnipro-1 were still able to open the scoring.

Chychykov got the goal but the newly promoted side were unable to hold out for too long. None other than the anti-goalscoring striker Yuri Kolomoyets, scores his first goal of the season and just his THIRD in a period stretching over a year and a half! Serhiy Kravchenko rounded off proceedings by getting a straight red at the very death!

Desna and Kolos then met. Absolutely nothing was able to separate the sides as they settled for a goalless draw. Regardless of the drab game, both sides have started extremely well to UPL 19/20. They sit in 3rd and 4th (as things stand) on seven points apiece!

Saturday’s final scheduled game between Mariupol and Dynamo was rearranged. This was to ensure that both sides were able to prepare for their potential European play offs accordingly! However, as the decision was made ahead of their second leg 3rd round ties; UPL didn’t foresee a catastrophic collapse from both sides.

It shouldn’t detract from the fact that the UPL & UAF do aim to help facilitate the progression of their sides in Europe. It’s just a shame that the teams are unable to take advantage of such measures and help themselves.

On Sunday, Shakhtar travelled to Lviv to inflict another defeat on a side from the Western Ukraine city. Shakhtar scored two well worked goals in the first half thanks to Dentinho and Marlos which set them up for their 2-0 victory.

As was expected, Shakhtar dominated the game but just couldn’t extend their lead in the second half. Alan Patrick missed a penalty to round the game off. Shakhtar are currently at cruising speed and fully justify their bold start of 4 wins from 4. Don’t see a team in the league that can seriously trouble them until the fixture reversal when Dynamo get another go!

The final game of the weekend was quite the cracker! Zorya played Oleksandriya in a battle between last season’s 5th and 3rd. Star man Lednev was kept on the bench along with the in form Nazariy Rusyn. Their absence, alongside a completely incoherent defence, played a detrimental role in the team’s defeat. Oleksandriya set up to play on the counter, something Skripnyk’s men do themselves.

As a result of Zorya aiming to play on the front foot, it creates gaps at the back. These were duly exploited by Kyrylo Kovalets. His first goal was a well worked moved, that Zorya just didn’t do well enough to close down the player. His second however saw a man possessed. In Bale-esque fashion Kovalets chased down a loose ball from half way, shrugged off a defender before cutting in and finishing past Shevchenko in goal.

Lednev was introduced with 20 minutes to go but it seemed to be too little too late when he got a consolation in the dying moments. He really makes the Zorya attack tick. It doesn’t seem that Skripnyk knows what his best XI is as of yet. The game ended 2-1 to the visitors.

Zorya were in action once again on Thursday and succumbed to a disappointing 3-1 defeat during the first leg of their UEL play off tie versus Espanyol. Zorya started the game cautiously but grew into the first half as time wore on.

Zorya opened the scoring with a sweeping counter attack. A lofted through ball was perfectly touched down and then latched onto by Hromov, who took it to the edge of the Espanyol box. Having created space, fellow forward Kabaev was slightly too far ahead of the ball. As a result he duly back heel cushioned the ball into the path of Kocherhin whose curved piledriver ended up in the back of the net. The away goal was there. If city rivals Barcelona & Messi had scored Kocherhin’s opener, then people wouldn’t have stopped talking about it for weeks.

Enough about the goal. Unfortunately, the half time whistle came far too quickly. Once Zorya re-emerged they looked like a completely different team. They sat back and invited the Espanyol pressure.

The hosts hit the bar, before ex Shakhtar striker Facundo Ferrerya levelled the game. Ironically enough, Zorya Luhansk are the team he has scored the most goals against in his career; 9 for Shakhtar, 1 for Espanyol.

Not too long after, with their backs against the wall and the defence looking like a rabble, Zorya conceded a penalty. Shevchenko pulled off a superb save to keep Granero out but it was almost all for nothing.

Lopez, then Vargas made it 3-1 on the night and the tie looks like it has got beyond the Luhansk side. Of course they still have the slightest of chances next week, but the odds look slim especially with Joel Abu Hanna and Cheberko as a centre back partnership!

PREDICTION TIME

SATURDAY – UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 🇺🇦

Kolos v Vorskla

Kolos kick off a festive weekend in Ukraine by offering a sporting alternative to the various ways that city dwellers and tourists will be celebrating Ukrainian Independence Day! They welcome Vorskla to the Obolon Arena hoping to continue their rather positive start to the season. After another point was added to the season tally out on the road last week, the (travelling) home fans will be looking for something to cheer about.

Goals are coming at a premium at the moment, with players from across the pitch needed to contribute to the goalscoring effort. Lysenko will be looking to end his duct and prove that he’s a viable alternative to last season’s injured top scorer, Bondarenko.

Vorskla, also go into this game feeling optimistic. Yuri Kolomoyets will have been ecstatic to have got a goal versus Dnipro-1. Will this spark a bit of a goalscoring run for the out of luck and down on confidence striker? This game could really go one of two ways, goals galore or an extremely tedious stalemate. Due to the festive nature of the weekend, we’ll go for the former, more positive outlook. 2-1

Oleksandriya v Desna

Oleksandriya have really impressed in their past two matches. They’re beginning to get back into the groove of things after a difficult start. One of last season’s key men Kyrylo Kovalets, looked like a man possessed last weekend and his contribution will be key to unlocking a stubborn Desna defence. If they can defeat a top three chasing Zorya side, then they will certainly be confident of getting the better of Desna.

However, Desna should not be underestimated. They’re showing the early hallmarks of a side determined to make the top six. After a cruel last minute collapse after the winter break prevented them from making it last season, they’re settling into UPL football nicely after a solid season under their belt.

As Oleksandriya seem to be coming into a pomp at the moment and with the home advantage, they should have the edge in this one as they continue to build up to their debut UEL campaign. This certainly won’t be a classic. 1-0

Dynamo v Olimpik

Here’s the game everyone has been anticipating for over a week and a half. The Mykhaylychenko era starts now. Will this latest incarnation of Lobanovskyism prove a viable replacement to the Khatchevicharian football that Dynamo fans have been put through for the past few seasons?

Nobody knows how the ex Dynamo player and manager will set his side up in his ‘second’ debut as coach. It’s unlikely to feature anything too off-piste, potentially favouring a similar side to that which started against Brugge in Kyiv. The line up is not the major concern, because the players certainly have the ability to remain competitive against Shakhtar.

It’s more pressing to see an organised side that knows exactly what each player’s roles and is following a game plan. This would be the first expectation from onlookers. Granted it may take a few games to embed this into a team that has been neglected tactically in the recent past (this is assuming Mykhaylychenko has a style of play that he wants to implement). There really is no better game to start a second stint against than versus a ‘manager less’ and bottom of the table Olimpik.

Olimpik go into this game having lost their first four games of the season. Brazilian manager Julio Cesar‘s stint in charge turned out exactly as we and many others predicted. His path was largely similar to that of former Middlesbrough star, Fabrizio Ravanelli. No wins after after a number of games, with the team showing little signs for improvement.

Olimpik signed ex Valencia man Ivan Zotko last week and will be hoping he can help out their so far hapless defence. Ihor Klymovksy has been put in temporary charge whilst the Donetsk side reportedly chase an unnamed Turkish manager to replace Cesar.

It still doesn’t look good for the last placed club and a resounding Dynamo victory is expected. It will not only give Mykhaylychenko the perfect start but also immediately instil the mirage that Dynamo are already set on a new course. Time will be the best measure of that. 4-0

SUNDAY

Karpaty v Zorya

Karpaty will be buoyed by last week’s win over Olimpik as they prepare to host a probably distracted Europa League chasing Zorya Luhansk.

Karpaty showed real prowess and resoluteness last weekend to go against the grain of last season, where they routinely capitulated in the final 20 minutes of games and took an age to get going in the first half. However the fact they held on and even extended their lead after conceding whilst 2-0 up, will put them in good stead versus Zorya.

Zorya will be aiming to get back to winning ways after losing to Oleksandriya in Matchday 3 & to Espanyol in the Europa. However, it is highly likely that a select few of the team that played in Spain in midweek will be rested for the return fixture with the group stages not out of sight just yet.

It’s been apparent that Zorya have been suffering slight fatigue issues in recent weeks. That mainly being due to the fact that the side has played two games a week since the UPL season started. It will be down to Karpaty to run them off the park, and exploit the imbalances that Zorya currently possess in midfield.

Skripnyk did attempt to resolve that versus Espanyol with personnel changes but it still led to a second half collapse. With the likeliness of resting first teamers and a lack of coherent box to box midfielders, this certainly will be an area where Karpaty can look to gain an advantage from.

Neither side’s defence is perfect either, with Zorya’s showcasing this fact in the Espanyol second half. As a result, goals are to be expected. Something still doesn’t let us wholly trust Karpaty. Years of let downs have turned us into pessimists. Will be a cracking game though. 2-2

Shakhtar v Mariupol

This game’s result seems to be set in stone way ahead of kick off. It’s the traditional match up between the two Donbas sides, dubbed the Sister Club Derby. The Azov coast visitors receive a substantial amount of players from the Donetsk side on a yearly basis either on loan or through the eventual signing. As a result, the ensuing fixtures between the parent and loanee clubs always sees the former side come out on top. It brings a new meaning to the phrase ‘routine victory.’

Some may say it’s a form of match fixing, but ‘officially’ there’s never been a case made that Mariupol have thrown the game on purpose largely because Shakhtar’s squad is so far superior. On top of this, Mariupol are unable to field any Shakhtar loan stars in their line up, which weakens them further.

Mariupol are struggling for goals already this season, so having the likes of Vakula ineligible will be detrimental. Shakhtar have already shown that they’re taking the league by the scruff of the neck whilst they free of distractions.

Junior Moraes has not hit the heights of last season yet in the goalscoring stakes but he has a perfect opportunity to notch a few in this one. Likewise, Marlos who has been in tremendous form so far will be hopping to add to his own tally. A walk in the park. 5-0

MONDAY

Dnipro-1 v Lviv

Dnipro-1’s somewhat turbulent start to the start could look to calm down against FC Lviv this weekend. The youngsters that have been hyped up by ourselves still have some adapting to do. A majority of them were benched or not even included in last week’s Matchday squad.

Inexperience does come at a cost sometimes and their first few games in the UPL have hit them hard despite the promising start.

The weak back line has remained problematic at times and an ageing spine doesn’t help matters either. Captain Serhiy Kravchenko did not lead by example and will now be serving a two match ban.

One thing Dnipro are able to account themselves for are goals, whilst they don’t score a lot of them, they are able to finish when it matters. They’re strong at set pieces too but will need to improve their general play if they want any chance of making the top six this season.

Lviv on the other hand, sit second bottom of the table. Albeit, two of their four fixtures so far have been against the leagues top dogs, Dynamo and Shakhtar, they can’t have this form continue to slip. In a fixture, where they will feel that they have a chance for a victory, it will be interesting to see how their attackers fare without the departed Bruno Duarte in the ranks.

China, Leo Tavares and Pernambucho are the stand out Brazilians that will be aiming to add to the few goals they have between them already this season. With Dnipro-1’s defence looking suspect at times, they have a serious chance of doing so.

Dnipro-1 to end their winless run at the behest of Lviv. No clean sheets though. 2-1

Zorya Luhansk travel to Barcelona to face Espanyol in their Europa League play off first leg tie. Whilst this can’t be classed as a David v Goliath match up, there certainly is a gulf in class and finance between the sides.

It will be a tough task for Zorya against the La Liga outfit. They miss defensive stalwart Vitaly Vernydub at the back, whilst their in form forward Nazariy Rusyn serves a one match suspension. His loss may be the most impactful, after the youngster took his shirt off to celebrate his goal in the last round, resulting in a second yellow. Zorya have been struggling for goals of late and his addition to the side was warmly welcomed due to his contributions so far.

Fortunately, Zorya’s man of the moment, Bohdan Lednev is available. He has had to make do coming off the bench versus both CSKA Sofia & Oleksandriya. These have been strange decisions from Skripnyk, especially as the attacking midfielder seriously bolsters the forward line when he’s on the field. He will be looking to add to his tally of three goals so far this season, as his side chases the vital away goal.

Their loss at the weekend versus Oleksandriya and an unconvincing 1-0 display against 10 man CSKA last week does raise doubts over Zorya are able to match up against their Spanish opponents. Skripnyk will need to organise his defence a lot more tightly and ensure the midfield isn’t as easily overrun due to its lack of defensive minded players.

Zorya can find some minor solace in the fact that Espanyol’s league season only started on the weekend and that they too suffered a loss (2-0 at home to Sevilla). However, the Catalan side has also been involved in UEL Qualifying and brushed aside Luzern and Stjarnan with ease. Piatti is missing for them along with Diego Lopez but overall the side looks to be going into the fixture at almost full strength. Zorya need to be weary of Chinese forward Wu Lei, who is still looking to establish himself in Europe.

A decent result tonight would be one that involves an away goal; ideally a victory but a score draw should suffice. In order for this to happen, Viktor Skripnyk will need to sort out his selection experiments and set up with the team’s key available players on the pitch. Hromov will be expected to pick up part of the goalscoring burden, after he returned from injury at the weekend.

These next two games have a lot riding on them. They have the ability to make or break Zorya’s season and help boost Ukraine’s declining coefficient rankings!

THE UKRAINIAN FOOTBALL ROUND UP:

It has been quite the eventful week in Ukrainian football!

We have seen defeats, sackings, new manager appointments and that was only at Dynamo Kyiv!

The talk of Ukrainian football for the past fortnight has regarded Oleksandr Khatskevich and how much further the Belarusian coach could go with his Dynamo side before being axed. First up, he lost the away leg of the UCL qualifying tie versus Club Brugge. This was followed by another embarrassing defeat to Shakhtar at home in the league and concluded with a 3-3 draw to Brugge, which saw Dynamo fail to qualify for the UCL group stages for the third consecutive season; a new record!

Dynamo’s 2-1 defeat to Shakhtar showcased the glaring issues that faced the side once again. The defence was exposed on numerous occasions and a lack of organisation allowed Shakhtar to literally walk through it. Marlos obliged, dribbled past a number of players in the box before his deflected shot ended up being what was the eventual winner. Dynamo showed a few signs of promise up front, with Gerson Rodrigues getting his debut goal on his first home start. However, this did come about from a Pyatov fumble and as such the goal should not allow fans to get carried away just yet. Junior Moraes’ opener (it had to be him) was a well worked move down the right, with Solomon’s low cross to the front post forcing Moraes to attempt an audacious back heel flick which initially made it 1-0.

Khatskevich continued to remain coy despite this defeat. He decided to go slightly bold with his line up in the Brugge game. It was a wet Tuesday in Kyiv and many were pleasantly surprised with the way the team was set out. It was just a shame that they weren’t given any conclusive instructions to truly take it to the Belgians. Dynamo got off to the best possible start when Buyalskyi smashed in to level the tie on aggregate. This came in the fifth minute and the rest of the first half consisted of Dynamo trying but failing to penetrate Mignolet’s goal. It was evident that Dynamo were the better side but out of nowhere; a set piece was sent into the Dynamo box and Burda having lost his man, meant that Brugge got their away goal with their first attempt on target.

Dynamo came out in the second looking motivated for a change, knowing that they were still very much in this tie. They once again scored early into the half with a well worked move between Verbic and Shepelev resulting in the latter finishing at close range. Dynamo continued to press before Khatskevich decided to take off Verbic, Dynamo’s brightest attacking spark on the night, for Artem Besiedin. The fans in the stadium and on social media were visibly outraged at such a decision. 

Burda’s night went from bad to worse as he received a senseless second yellow with eight minutes to go. Khatskevich was now throwing the kitchen sink at Brugge in sheer desperation. He brought on Sol for Shepelev meaning Dynamo had 3 strikers on the pitch and 2 wingers. Then Brugge had a man sent off. Back to even men on the pitch, Dynamo’s top heavy front line meant they were completely exposed in midfield and Vormer benefited from the acres of space to slot in an equaliser and as good as killing the game off for Dynamo.

There was still time for Dynamo to go ahead once more in injury time thanks to an own goal from a corner, but it was just too little too late. With the side pushing for the goal in the depths of injury time, the side was dispossessed allowing Openda to run through one on one with Boyko and ensure Brugge went home without a defeat. Not that this would affected the end result, Dynamo were dropping back into the Europa League group stages for the third consecutive season.

By lunchtime the next day, Khatskevich and all of his staff, including Shatskikh and Luzhny were relieved of their duties just two months into a new two year deal they had signed in June. Fans were in jubilation across social media. The atmosphere was so celebratory that it felt like Dynamo had won a title in some spheres.

Rumours began circulating that Dynamo might finally appoint a foreign manager who has no ties to the former Soviet Union. However, the rumours of the likes of Hitzfield and even closer to home; Vernydub, were short lived. A few hours after the dismissal news came through, it began to surface that another manager with a ‘Dynamo heart’ was now the clear favourite to pick up the job. None of other than former Dynamo, Sampdoria and Rangers man, Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko would be returning for a second spell in charge after his first stint came to an end with a sacking back in 2004. Optimism quickly turned to deflation as Dynamo fans brace themselves for more of the same with Mykhaylychenko at the helm.

Elsewhere in Ukrainian football, Mariupol prepared for their Europa League second leg tie with a 1-1 draw away to Karpaty. The Lviv side picked up their first point of the season in what was a largely drab affair. Kornienko, a U20 World Cup winner made his debut for the visiting side and impressed at full back. After the game Mariupol stayed in Lviv for a bit of extra training, kindly allowed to use Karpaty’s facilities, before embarking on their trip to the Netherlands. 

Mariupol, having drawn their first leg with AZ 0-0, had every chance of making the next round as long as they were able to get themselves a goal. Due to a roof collapsing at Alkmaar’s stadium, the game was instead played at The Hague. Mariupol’s lack of firepower upfront, with Fomin missing was obvious to see. The Azov side crashed out of Europe with nothing as much as a whimper as they were trounced 4-0 on the night. 

Zorya were the other Ukrainian side in European action this week. They prepared for their vital game with CSKA Sofia, by inflicting defeat on Kolos Kovalivka. Zorya looked rather shaky during the first half, being rather prone to counter attacks from the hosts and had it not been for a lack in end product from the village team, then Zorya could have been truly punished. Fortunately, they were able to gain a grasp of the game with Lednev’s thirty-yard free kick opening the score line. Kolos then equalised, which sent the home fans wild. However, their levelling of the game was short lived. Zorya scored on either side of half time and this ultimately ended up killing the game. Nazariy Rusyn, on loan from Dynamo was pivotal in the victory, scoring and assisting in what was his first start for the club.

Zorya’s performance was far from optimal but it got the job done. The statement can very much be applied to their second leg tie v CSKA Sofia in the Europa League. Luhansk were lucky to not concede a penalty early into the game, in the ensuing counter attack, Sofia had a man sent off. This meant that for a good 60 minutes, Zorya had a man advantage. They did not make the most of it and for large parts were actually against the wall with CSKA pressing for an equaliser on aggregate. At the very death, in the 89^thminute, once CSKA were well and truly fatigued, was Rusyn allowed to skip past a few defenders before slotting it calmly into the net to secure a UEL Play Off tie with Espanyol. Unfortunately, Rusyn will miss the first leg due to a second yellow he received in the celebrations following his goal. Already booked, the forward still decided to take his shirt off for a goal that in the grand scheme of things wasn’t even the ‘winner’ in the tie. Now Zorya have an even tougher task ahead of them next week!

Meanwhile, Vorskla pulled off a shock last weekend, as they not only won on the day but also scored 3 (THREE in ONE game) goals in the process! Sehic, who got himself a brace looks to have finally broken ground after a mediocre start since joining the division in January. 

Bruno Duarte finally broke his goal duct for Lviv after a number of barren months. This would also be his last for club as the striker joined Vitoria Guimaraes on Friday. Despite the defeat against Poltava and the loss of Duarte; the side will take positives from the game despite the most devastating of last minute losses. China got the other goal for the Lviv side, who came from behind twice. However, it was Vasin who had the last laugh as he powered in a 96th minute penalty past Sarnavsky to get Vorskla’s season truly underway!

However, defensive issues still remain and despite the valiant display versus Lviv, it should still be taken into account that it required a last minute penalty to secure all of the points. With another two goals conceded, it showcases that Vorskla’s defence is certainly not what it used to be and that the veterans within it are getting on. A higher calibre of opposition forwards (Lviv’s aren’t that bad to note) and a pummelling can be expected.

Dnipro-1 were surprisingly beaten at home by Desna. The much hyped youthful forward line did threaten but ultimately a lack of clinical finishing cost them. Past, in the Desna net was in inspired form and Fillipov, has come back into limelight with a few goals so far this season. His smart finish got Desna a second consecutive victory for the visitors.

In the remaining UPL game, Oleksandriya picked up their first points of the season by beating a sorry Olimpik Donetsk side. Oleksandriya opened the scoring thanks to Shendryk, before Matar Dieye got the equaliser and his UPL account open for the season. Just a minute after Vantukh was sent off for Olimpik, did Bezborodko get his debut goal for Oleksandriya in emphatic fashion. Robin Van Persie style, the forward turned on the half volley to power the finish past the hapless keeper. The game ended 2-1 and will bring a bit of confidence to Oleksandriya as they try and push for some of their form from last season. 

PREDICTION TIME

SATURDAY

VORSKLA POLTAVA V DNIPRO-1

Vorskla will be buoyed by their first win of the season last week as they welcome a flagging Dnipro-1. Having put in a determined shift and fought until the very death versus Lviv, Vorskla showed that they are capable of getting wins and are also capable of scoring goals; something they have shied away from for almost over 8 months. Sehic, looks to be in good form going into this and the addition of Luizao in midfield has helped energise a static midfield. 

Dnipro-1 may need to switch things up if they want to find out what their best line up is. The youthful nature of the side has begun to be exposed for its lack of experience. Whilst they continue to remain threatening, the end product has been lacking in recent games. Dnipro also have quite a problem at the back. It doesn’t look entirely organised and is getting found out by the opposition. This one could be more entertaining than it would have looked a few weeks ago! 1-1

DESNA CHERNIHIV V KOLOS KOVALIVKA

Desna have had a good start to the season. A poor result versus Lviv has since been forgotten about with two solid victories versus Vorskla and Dnipro-1. Kolos go into this one, having been brought back to Earth by Zorya last week. It will be interesting to see how many of their ‘fans’ travel for this one. Kolos’ honeymoon period of wins is over and as such the hard work begins. They will be out to prevent a second consecutive loss and the likes of Lysenko up front will be wanting to open their UPL accounts sooner rather than later. If they improve their final ball, then they could be a real threat against Desna in this one. However, expecting a narrow continuation from the home side. No second season syndrome here. 1-0

MARIUPOL V DYNAMO KYIV (POSTPONED)

This game has been postponed until a midweek in September. The thinking behind this was to assist both sides in their respective European qualifying campaigns and prevent a long travel day for Dynamo to the Azov coast. Funnily enough it seemed the players from sides preferred a weekend off rather than a season of top European football, as the teams crashed out of their primary aim competitions in midweek. P-P

SUNDAY

OLIMPIK DONETSK V KARPATY LVIV

Olimpik are still searching for their first point of the season. So far, their campaign is playing out exactly as many expected it to. Julio Cesar’s inexperience providing little in changing the fortunes around for the Donetsk club. One positive may be the fact that their star striker has finally broken his duct and hope that Matar Dieye can now press on to be as influential as he was last year. 

Karpaty got themselves a decent result against Mariupol. Having come from behind, it looks like Chyzhevskyi’s men are finally starting to bed in playing with each other after the close season’s big overhaul. Not everyone has made an impact just yet but it looks to positive that new signing Vojkovic got his first goal for the club. The defence still has some questions that need answering and that will be tested today against Olimpik, who are not shy of a few proven goal scorers. Something about this fixture screams to not favour Karpaty as they somehow always collapse unexpectedly. Olimpik to pick up their first win of the season but then return to normal next week.2-1

ZORYA LUHANSK V OLEKSANDRIYA

Zorya made a meal out of their Europa League tie in midweek. The man advantage was not taken seriously enough and it could have ended negatively had the quality of opposition been higher. They welcome Oleksandriya, who are fresh off their opening win of the campaign. With Bezborodko finding his shooting boots, it’s likely that he will become a pivotal part of the Oleksandriya attacking line. Tretyakov and Luchkevych have showcased signs of promise down the wings too and the new signings seem to be starting to gel in with the core of Sharan’s side. 

Zorya have their own inform forward in that of Nazariy Rusyn. He’s now scored two in two and as he will be missing his side’s Europa league tie in midweek, he will be motivated to at least apologise to the fans and team by putting a shift in during this match. Oleksandriya are extremely hard to break down and as such this game won’t be the highest of scoring. With Skripnyk’s Luhansk side yet to fully find their ‘playing style’ it will a hard fought slog to get a result in this one. A score draw wouldn’t be a surprise here.  1-1

FC LVIV V SHAKHTAR DONETSK

FC Lviv lost 10-0 on aggregate to Shakhtar last season over the course of 4 games. Shakhtar are expected to add to that tally today as they look to go 6 points ahead of Dynamo who are not playing this weekend. With Dynamo beating the home side  3-0 already this season, Shakhtar are certainly expected to match that as a bare minimum. Whilst the Champions League is not a distraction, the victories earned in this early part of the season may prove to be the fine margins as to who wins the league or not come next May. FC Lviv lost key man Bruno Duarte this week and as such will be expecting to see their other Brazilians take up the baton in his place. However, it’s not expected that the hosts will trouble the Donetsk side’s goal too much. A routine victory. 0-3

ANY GOALS WILL DO!

Mariupol travel to the Netherlands as they play the return leg of their Europa League qualifying tie v AZ Alkmaar. However, they won’t be playing at AZ’s home stadium.

Over the weekend, the roof of the AFAS stadium partially collapsed in high winds. Fortunately, the stadium was empty at the time and nobody was injured. This now means the game will be played at the amusingly named Cars Jeans Stadion in The Hague.

This has the possibility of affecting the Alkmaar players, unsettling them in such a key European tie. For Mariupol, it’s nothing new. Playing their home football regularly a mere 20 or so kilometres from the frontline in the war between Ukraine and Russia, Mariupol have played elsewhere on a number of occasions since the war began. Most recently, it was the first leg of this fixture, just last week.

Mariupol traveled to Amsterdam via Groningen on Monday, direct from Lviv where they drew 1-1 with Karpaty on Sunday. They’ve had a few days to settle in and should be in much better condition than they were for the home game. Mariupol spent over 10 hours travelling from the Azov Sea to Odesa on the Black Sea.

The travel and different arena didn’t look to have affected their performance too greatly on the night. For a game that was drawn 0-0, it required some seriously resolute and high pressure defending and as such reduced attacking capabilities.

They will be looking for a similarly inspiring display from veteran goalkeeper Rustam Khudzhamov to keep them in the game, whilst they aim to grab a greater foothold in the opposition’s final third through key man Vakula and his ability to link up with the players around him.

This is a big opportunity for Mariupol to reach the play offs, with the potential for a single away goal to decide the tie. With AZ in unfamiliar territory, Mariupol just need to keep themselves in this one until the latter stages to stand themselves a chance of progressing!

ONE FOOT IN THE PLAY OFFS

Zorya welcome CSKA Sofia to Zaporizhya for the second leg of their Europa League Third Round Qualifying tie. The Ukrainian side go into the game with a vital away goal having secured a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria last week.

The result was slightly surprising, with many in Ukraine, expecting Viktor Skripnyk’s men to get the majority of the task complete in the first leg. Fortunately, Vladlen Yurchenko’s penalty provided of a safety blanket for them to take into the home fixture.

On the weekend, Zorya fans were given a glimpse into the full capabilities of their side as the team beat a motivated Kolos Kovalivka. Bohdan Lednev was once again instrumental in the attacking midfield role and will look to cause some serious problems for the CSKA defence.

Likewise, Nazariy Rusyn looks to be a shrewd aquisition as he got his first goal on his first start. He also contributed with a fine assist, showcasing his pace and strength that will no doubt help his hold up play game. An improvement on Budkivskyi ten fold.

Defensively, there are still some questions that need to be answered and these will need to be addressed sooner rather than later with Espanyol, potential play off opponents.

A goalless draw will do for Zorya tonight, but if the team want to stand any chance of making the groups, they will need to start showing improvements now! Coefficient points are at stake!