Preview

Before the match

According to the draw, Shakhtar will start the league season’s second stage, just as they started the first one, in Poltava. In the starting round at the same stadium, the Donetsk team won 3-0 through the goals of Facundo Ferreyra, Marlos and Alan Patrick.
 
The Orange-and-Blacks have a 6 point advantage over Dynamo Kyiv and 14 over Vorskla. Paulo Fonseca’s men approach another league round after clean-sheet wins over Chornomorets, Zirka and Karpaty.
 
The main personnel news from the Miners’ camp is the return of Yaroslav Rakits’kyy, David Khocholava, Taison and Fred after suspension.
 
Opponents
 
Vorskla improved their performance compared with the previous season, being the third best side. Vasyl Sachko’s men won exactly half of the games (11 of 22) and drew on 4 occasions.
 
After the October defeat at the hands of Shakhtar, the Poltava players lost in three rounds in a row. The run of setbacks was interrupted on November 25 with a victory over Mariupol, followed by the wins over Oleksandriia, Olimpik, Veres and Chornomorets. They suffered the only loss of 0-3 at the hands of Zorya in the 21st round.
 
During the winter break, Vorskla found a replacement for the departed Matviienko, Tkachuk and Zahorulko. Vrskla signed up a defender Ihor Honchar, U21 midfielder Yurii Hluschuk, they also signed contracts with strikers Denys Vasin (Chornomorets) and Mykhailo Serhiichuk (Veres).
 
The participation of Oleksandr Chyzhov and Yurii Kolomoyets is in question.
 
Head-to-head record
 
Shakhtar played Vroskla in the UPL 44 times: 33 wins, 9 draws and 2 losses at the aggregate goal difference of 86-25.
 
Shakhtar have the following statistics in Poltava: +14=6-2 (36-13).
 
Previous league meeting
 
In Kharkiv on October 13, the Miners opened the scoring in the 21st minute (Alan Patrick provided Marlos with an excellent assist), doubling the lead fifteen minutes later (Ferreyra got on the end of Ismaily’s cross). Vorskla managed to change the course of the match (through a brace by Kolomoyets), but in the 82nd minute, the Argentines snatched three points: the substitute Blanco Leschuk provided an assist for Facundo - 3-2.