Preview

September 10, Lviv, Arena Lviv, 17:00
Live broadcast will be available on Setanta Sports.

Before the match

Shakhtar started the season stepping it up from match to match. Starting with draw game vs Metalist 1925, Igor Jovicevic’s men won 2 times: over Kryvbas (1-0) and Rukh (1-0); and, on Tuesday, the team made a bright opening of the UCL group stage hammering RB Leipzig (4-1) away.

The Pitmen’s newcomer Marian Shved perfectly fit into the team play: debut in the starting lineup and 2 scored goals. Lassina Traore., who has returned after serious injury, also scored in European arena. But another hero of the match in Germany, Mykhailo Mudryk, who scored goal and provided two assists, will not be able to help the Orange-and-Blacks in the Saturday’s game against Chornomorets due to sending-off in the previous round.

The main problem of Shakhtar is still an intense schedule and complex logistics. The team spent the entire next day after the Champions League match on trip from Leipzig to Lviv and the Miners had only 2 days for preparation for Odesa-based team.

Opponent

Chornomorets began the championship from defeat from Veres (0-1) at home, then played two draws: with Metalist 1925 (0-0) and Inhulets (1-1). Currently, the team has only one goal scored by Canadian defender Manjrekar James.

After return to the Premier League in summer 2021, the Odessans set a goal not only to make lodgement in the elite, but to compete for Eurocup places. Roman Hryhorchuk, a legendary coach for Chornomorets, came in winter to fulfil this task. The club did a serious job at the transfer market signing quite a few foreign players. But the international players left the team when the full-scale war was started, and squad had to be reformed in summer. They counted on experienced Ukrainians among which are Dmytro Nepohodov, Yevhen Selin, Serhiy Politylo, and Oleksandr Hladkyi. James has returned to Odesa. Albanian player Realdo Fili was signed. All these performers are now in the starting eleven.

Match background

Shakhtar and Chornomorets played 51 matches in the Ukrainian League. The Miners had 37 wins, 7 meets ended in draw, and 7 matches were in favour of the Odessans. The Orange-and-Blacks have the advantage in goal difference: 104-28.

Previous meeting

Last time the teams played in the UPL was August 21, 2021 on Odesa. The hosts remained in minority already in the opening minutes of the match after Biloshevskyi was sent off and the Miners skilfully used the quantitative advantage: Heorhii Sudakov took the first lead in the 34th minute, and Alan Patrick scored at the end of the half. Manor Solomon made the final score during injury time. 3-0 – Shakhtar’s away victory. The teams also have met in the previous season of 1/8 final of the Ukrainian Cup and the Orange-and-Blacks won with the same score.